Miss York's Match
by LadyJaeza
Summary: This story is a companion piece to Giving Consequence. It follows the story from the viewpoint of Kitty and Lydia's governess. Many of the events related in Giving Consequence will retold from this point of view and the story will continue on beyond Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding.
1. Chapter 1

*AN – Welcome back. This story, after two chapters which will give us our main character's back story, will take us from the point where Miss York joins the Bennet family forward through events covered in Giving Consequence and beyond. I hope you will enjoy the story. - Lady Jaeza

* * *

My name is Sophia York. My father said Sophia was the goddess of wisdom. He thought it only right to give me a good education to go along with the name. I am glad he did. It may have saved my life.

My father was Damien York, Viscount Stone of Stone Landing. The Landing, as it is referred to locally, is a small estate of little true importance. While prosperous enough, it is remote from any great centers of influence. The title was of equal inconsequence. My father liked it that way. He avoided local politics, held no official positions and simply worked to manage the estate well when he was not reading or exchanging correspondence with other men of letters. My father had no son and the viscountcy ended with his death. The estate was inherited by a distant male cousin, but not the title. Viscount Stone is no more.

My father may have admired wisdom, but he did not always show it. His will and other preparations for his demise are a case in point. At least, they are if one assumes he intended to provide for his family. If it was actually his intent to have his wife and two daughters cast out into the world with nearly nothing to support them, he was very wise in his planning indeed.

Do I sound bitter? I often feel bitter. This is not the life I expected. This is not the life my father led me to expect. I know bitterness will solve nothing. Anger, the frequent companion of bitterness, will solve nothing. I do my best to push them both aside and move on with my life. Try as I might, though, thoughts of the will always leave me feeling bitter and angry.

He could have done so much more for us. All it would have taken was a clear declaration of the plans and arrangements he already had in place. Such a little thing. A few words on a piece of paper. I do not know what stopped him. I do not know why his wisdom failed him and, ultimately, failed us.

When I was very young my father began to give me the same kind of lessons he would have given a son. He enjoyed teaching. I was set to learning a variety of subjects over the next few years. He started with French and mathematics. I learned to read and speak French at the same time I learned to read English. He and mother were as likely to converse with me in French as in English at any given time, to ensure I truly learned both languages.

As I grew older, he also taught me Italian and some Latin. Historical texts were added to my studies, along with literature in all the languages I was learning. By the time I entered my teens he had introduced me to philosophy and a variety of religious texts.

No matter what the subject my father emphasized discipline as the key to success. He did not refer to punishments, but to the internal strength of will that carries you forward to complete your appointed task well, no matter how tempted you may be to rush it through or simply give up. It may be that I am naturally stubborn anyway, but I did learn the concept of discipline well. As a consequence I was a successful student.

When I was not occupied by the studies my father set me I worked with my mother. I applied the same discipline to learning sewing, embroidery, drawing, singing and playing pianoforte and harp. I am no prodigy at any of these, but I am proficient in them all so far as dedicated practice can make me.

A few months before my twelfth birthday my mother was delivered of a second daughter. Mother was ill with fever for some time thereafter and never fully recovered. Both she and my father had hoped for a son to inherit title and lands, but that now seemed unlikely.

My sister, Grace, thrived and soon enough father began teaching her in much the same fashion he taught me. I helped with her studies and went on to teach her many of the things mother had taught me. Our mother continued to be weak and Grace needed the company, the attention and the encouragement.

Father knew there was little society to be had in our neighborhood and even less chance for me to make an eligible match locally. He decided that I must have a London season. To better prepare me and to enable me to establish social connections, he sent me to a finishing school for young gentlewomen shortly before my sixteenth birthday. The school had a good reputation and was run by a woman known to be of fine character.

It was at school that I learned I am not beautiful or even particularly pretty. This was not something I had actually thought on much before.

"You are no beauty," Mrs. Haversham had said, "but you have a pleasant face and equally pleasant manners. Those will hold a gentleman's interest far longer than mere physical beauty can do."

I assumed that by saying my face was pleasant she meant that servants and children would not run screaming from me nor would my glance curdle milk. I had never before been invested in a vision of myself as a radiant beauty, so it was not too terribly disappointing to find I was not. To be considered "pleasant" was acceptable, not that I actually had a choice.

I had considered myself well-educated. In the subjects I had been taught I was. I now found that there were many subjects that my parents had not considered important enough to speak of or did not feel competent enough to teach. These were largely social skills and matters of society and rank. I knew books, but I did not know people. I harnessed all the discipline in me to learn.

My first challenge was coming to terms with having a roommate. Being for so long an only child, I was not accustomed to sharing a room or having company my own age. It was uncomfortable to us both until my roommate, Miss Abigail Sanders, realized that I was not so much stand-offish as simply unsure how to react. Abigail had sisters, cousins and friends all near her in age. She taught me about friendship, how to share and how to react to playful teasing. I was still far more solemn than the other girls, but now I knew what was insult and what was not.

I continued to practice my "accomplishments", but now I learned new ones. I was taught carriage and deportment. I learned to walk, stand, sit and rise with calm grace. That took practice until it became so engrained I no longer had to think before moving. I learned the myriad rules of propriety to guide my behavior and protect myself from entering situations that could damage my reputation or my prospects. I did not have to believe in or agree with the rules, which is good because many of them are rather foolish. I just had to know them so I could follow them or choose to knowingly flout them with a full understanding of the possible consequences. I learned the rules of discourse, what should and should not be said in polite company. I found this set of lessons more difficult than the mental studies my father taught me or the physical studies my mother taught me for they were neither fully one nor the other. Although my parents had modeled good behavior, we had been outside of our small family group so little that the whole concept of moving in society was somewhat foreign to me. My father certainly showed wisdom in sending me to school before providing a London season.

I made a few friends and gained several friendly acquaintances. Although I liked them for their own sakes, these were also my "connections". As Mrs Haversham told us, "You young ladies have a responsibility to each other by virtue of your fellowship here. The Ton can be a cruel place, particularly for newcomers. Help one another with invitations and introductions. It costs you nothing to introduce someone whose behavior you already know should reflect well on you. The invitations you give or receive, the help you give could be the vital piece to place you in front of the right potential spouse."

We all agreed with the idea. It made sense. Of course, we already knew who we could each count on and who would probably drop all acquaintance with us the moment our schooling ended. It was still a valuable piece of advice.

Everything we did and learned at school flowed from the single ambition to find an appropriate, respectable man to marry. The lessons would carry over to help us be proper wives and members of whatever circle of society we landed in. That was a side benefit. The primary goal was to attract and hold the interest of a man long enough for him to offer marriage.

Mrs. Haversham made it sound like a simple set of steps:

1- Practice your singing and musical instruments so you may perform with confidence and skill if called upon. These skills show you can entertain your husband or his guests of an evening.

2-Behave and dress modestly, but avoid appearing too shy or dowdy. This shows that your husband can trust you will not embarrass him in company.

3-Listen politely to those around you and, if appropriate, offer your opinion, but only if that opinion is appropriate to the company. This shows your discretion and courtesy.

4-Dance when asked, showing the grace of your carriage and the lightness of your figure. This will attract the attention of eligible young men in an acceptable way.

5-Once you attract the interest of a suitable man nurture it with your good behavior and show interest without being too forward. This should lead to a proposal of marriage.

I was not quite certain the logic was sound. While I had no actual experience in society there seemed to be more possible variables than were accounted for in this list. Still, it might have worked if I had been given more time. To be honest, it did work – just not to find me a husband.

My father delayed my presentation until he felt I was old enough to consider marrying. That is, after all, the purpose of a season. He did not like being in London, so he was hoping I would "take" in my first or second season and then he could be done with it until Grace was old enough for her turn.

My first and only season began two months before my nineteenth birthday and ended two weeks before that date. It did not end with a marriage.

My father took a house in London for all of us. Our address was respectable although not overly fashionable. Under my mother's sponsorship I was presented at court. My father had contacted several of his usual correspondents to arrange for introductions for me and invitations to a variety of functions. I contacted my schoolfellows for the same. Several of the girls had already had their first season. In fact, a few had already married. Most were willing to oblige me and I had no lack of events at which to be seen.

The parties and balls often felt like a duty to be endured. There was fun to be had, but it was often overshadowed by the intense scrutiny I felt myself under. I knew my role, though, and continued to attend, following all the advice Mrs. Haversham had given.

Most people do not expect their world to change in an instant. Mine changed when my father decided to visit an acquaintance one afternoon. Another driver lost control of his horses when they were spooked by something. My father's carriage was in the way and there was a terrible crash. Father did not survive long enough to be pulled from the wreckage. With that my season ended as did the life I had known.

I mentioned that my father's heir did not inherit the title of Viscount Stone. As it turned out, that hardly mattered. He already had a title.

Our distant cousin, Lord Willoughby, was a young earl. His family estate was impoverished when he inherited it at three and twenty years of age. Now, two years later, it was even more so. A notorious rake and gambler, Lord Willoughby had expensive tastes. All this led to the problem of my father's will.

Stone Landing had prospered under my father's care. The estate ran using the most effective methods of farming and animal husbandry. Father's tenants prospered as well, offering hard work and timely rents in return for the use of the lands. He managed his accounts carefully and had a significant savings fund. The estate accounts were well filled, with far more set aside than was needed to support the Landing. On its own it was a good inheritance.

When my season began my father made it known that my dowry was fifteen thousand pounds and that an equal amount was set aside for my sister. The funds sat in an account at the bank separate from the estate funds. He also had ten thousand pounds set aside intended to support my mother after his death.

Here is where is wisdom failed him. He assumed it was enough to simply _tell_ his solicitor and others his intentions for those funds. He was still young enough to expect he would be around to disburse the dowries and my mother's funds were clearly set apart from the other property.

His assumptions might have been valid with a different heir. Lord Willoughby was not a man to honor any obligation unless legally required to do so. Perhaps not even then, if he could find a way around it.

My mother and I told him of my father's intentions for the funds. The solicitor told him of my father's intentions for the funds. Several people who had known father told him of my father's intentions for the funds. The _will_ said nothing of my father's intentions. Lord Willoughby chose to ignore my father's intentions for the funds. An extra forty thousand pounds would give him entry into many high stakes games.

Although the funds were set aside from the estate accounts, because the will did not specifically list those accounts as bequests we had no legal claim to them. The will contained no provisions for the care and maintenance of my mother, my sister or me. Lord Willoughby had no legal requirement to give us a single penny of support. So he was firm in giving us nothing beyond our clothes and a few personal effects of little value. The rent on the townhouse had already been paid to the end of the quarter. We were allowed to remain until then, but any servants we had brought from the estate were to return immediately and bring with them any furnishings or other possessions beyond what we were allowed to keep. Lord Willoughby would not pay them to serve us. The solicitor insisted the estate had to pay any other servants to the end of the quarter as well, but Lord Willoughby refused to allow anything beyond that. If we wished to eat or burn coal to cook or warm the house then we would have to purchase anything we needed beyond what was already there. By the time all this was worked out, the end of the quarter was almost upon us.

The only funds Lord Willoughby could not take were a trust fund of one thousand pounds that was part of my mother's settlement and whatever Mother and I had remaining to hand of our personal allowances. Mother kept little money with her. Her allowance was usually included as part of the household accounts and she usually left it there unless she needed it. Those accounts were no longer hers to access. I had some money on hand for I did take my allowance in cash and usually spent little of it. I did not have enough to support the three of us for very long.

We also discovered the limits on my mother's settlement. It had been set up in a trust fund and she was not allowed to touch the principle no matter how dire the circumstances. She would receive the interest quarterly. While better than nothing, it was not enough to support the three of us. I would have to find work, and soon.

I contacted my circle of connections asking for their assistance finding a position as a governess or companion. Some refused to see or speak to me. As a fatherless, penniless woman I had fallen too low for their notice. Given what I knew of their characters I was not truly surprised. Some offered condolences but knew of no openings. It was my roommate and first friend, Abigail, who came through for me. She had a cousin who had invested with a wealthy shipbuilder who had mentioned he was looking for a governess to teach his daughter. I asked for an introduction and it was granted. I asked for the job.

Here is where Mrs. Haversham's rules for attracting a husband stood me in good stead. Mr. Gerald Thompson and his wife were, due to their wealth, often invited to events held by those of the same circles I had attended. We were, after all, not of the first circle. They had seen me at some of those occasions. Mr. Thompson remembered hearing me play and sing. He noted my proper behavior, both previously and during the interview. All the things Mrs. Haversham had taught along with the accomplishments I learned from my parents counted heavily in my favor. Even my "pleasant" face was considered an asset.

Mr. Thompson wanted his daughter to gain the accomplishments and behavior of a gentlewoman. He hoped she would eventually rise above her status as the daughter of a tradesman. Who better to teach her than a true gentlewoman who displayed the necessary skills.

In answer to his questions about my background I told Mr. Thompson of the various things I had been taught. I also let him know I would be my mother and sister's primary support. Being a kind man, as well as a smart businessman, he offered me a salary that would meet my ordinary needs while still allowing me sufficient extra to lease safe lodgings for my mother and Grace. The interest from my mother's settlement would have to pay for their other needs. With care, it would be enough.

I knew I was receiving a very good deal, but so was Mr. Thompson. He knew I would do my best and be unlikely to leave a position where I was valued and paid well. In return his daughter would have the benefit of all my education.

We struck the bargain. I left behind my position as the Honorable Sophia York, daughter of Viscount Stone. I became simply Miss York, governess.

It was not what I had expected my life would be. It was better than I feared my life would become. The opportunity was before me to be useful and make a difference to another person's course and destination. A new chapter had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

Dante's Inferno describes the first circle of Hell as Limbo. It is a realm to house the souls of those who lived a virtuous life but lived before they could be saved by Christ. It is not a place of punishment, for they were good people, but neither is it heaven. If one strips the religious significance from the idea of limbo it can well describe the place of a companion, governess or resident tutor in a household. These positions fall under the realm of servants, but they do not truly belong with the servants who do the labor to keep the house running. They are not members of the family. They do, however, have authority _over_ certain members of the family. It is an awkward place, neither one thing nor the other. How that awkwardness is handled depends largely on the characters of the people involved.

I was fortunate in my first position. Mr. Thompson, his wife and his daughter all treated me as something between a distant relation and an honored guest. The servants in the household did not seem to resent me for the kindness shown me by the family. In some houses the disdain shown by the other servants can be far harsher than any demands made by the master or mistress. Kind as they were, I still had to adjust to this new situation.

My first adjustment came from leaving my family. I had come to terms with my father's death. I still mourned, but accepted I could not change the situation. Now I had to leave my mother and Grace. This was harder and easier at the same time. I _could_ stay with them. We would live in poverty with no hope of change. By choosing to leave and take this position I gave us all hope for something better. I would have to remind myself of this frequently over the next several years.

After a discussion with my mother and another with Mr. Thompson we decided mother and Grace should not stay in London. Once again we turned to our circle of acquaintances. One of my father's friends had a small cottage to let on the outskirts of a village in Surrey. I could afford the rent and it was close enough to the shops that mother would be able to acquire provisions without straining herself.

Mr. Thompson offered his carriage to convey them to their new home. He allowed me time to help them and go with them to get them settled in. I would ride back in the carriage when it returned to London.

"It is good business," he said when I thanked him. "I know your family is important to you, as mine is to me. If you are worried about them or their situation you will be unable to give your full attention to my daughter. The small amount of time and money it costs to see them safely transported to their new home will be fully repaid by the advantages you will give to my Annabelle."

He called it business. I still think he was just being kind. Of course, he was right. I did need to know they would be well and I would work harder than ever in gratitude for what he had done.

The cottage was small, but that would make it easier and cheaper to heat in winter. It would also be easier for my mother to care for. The roof appeared sound and the rest of the cottage looked in good repair. I could be confident they had good shelter. I met some of the neighbors when they came to welcome the newcomers. I am sure they also came to see what gossip could be had. They were still kind.

A pair of widowed sisters offered to help mother learn how to keep house. They had both lost their husbands around the same time. They took up housekeeping together to make their small portions go further. They had to learn how to make do without servants, just as mother would have to. They received help from others in similar circumstances and were happy now to pass the favor forward. It was a favor to me as well. I had worried mother would be overwhelmed by all the new and unfamiliar tasks. Now she had teachers. She would be fine.

By the time I boarded the carriage to return to London I felt assured I had done the best I could for my mother and sister. This cottage gave them more safety and comfort than anything I could have afforded in London. They would have companions to help them. There were girls in the village to give Grace company. The necessities of life were within their means here. I would not see them often, nor would I strain their budget with frequent letters, but I could be confident in their situation. As Mr. Thompson predicted, now that they were settled I could give my full attention to his daughter.

Miss Annabelle Thompson, at thirteen years of age, paired lively manners with an inquisitive mind. Her previous governess taught her the basic subjects, but did not have the education herself to go beyond that. She had recently married a soldier and had gone with him to his next assignment, leaving the opening I had accepted.

I remembered Mrs. Haversham had tested our skills to see where she needed to start with each of us. I proceeded to do the same with Annabelle. As a new teacher I might have found the task more difficult if my charge had known more. Her skills, overall, were fairly basic. She could read and do simple sums. Her reading material had been primarily novels because that is what the previous governess read. Her sewing and embroidery skills showed promise. Annabelle told me these tasks were most favored by her earlier governess. She played with moderate skill on the pianoforte and could sing well enough for someone who had no voice training. I found her manners good, but she had not the polish required in higher society. I took what I had learned of her skills and developed a plan.

Sewing and other handwork, which had previously filled the bulk of her day, shifted to occasional tasks. I began to teach her French as my parents had taught me. I spoke to her in the language as we worked on other things to accustom her to the sounds. We made a formal study of vocabulary and grammar as well. Hearing and eventually speaking the language taught her the most.

History, volumes of poetry and serious prose displaced novels as Annabelle's reading matter. We discussed what she read and how the material could be used in polite conversation. My father had guided my education for the pure sake of knowledge. Annabelle was better served learning subjects with an eye to improving her performance in society.

I drilled her in moving with grace as Mrs. Haversham had drilled me. Annabelle learned well, although it took much practice. She found many of the rules of propriety as silly as I had, but she trusted me when I insisted they would benefit her. We developed a system of small gestures and nudges which allowed me to guide or correct her without the embarrassment of a verbal reminder. That would be saved for truly egregious errors.

Annabelle's singing and performance on the pianoforte improved greatly with the training I provided. She practiced diligently. She enjoyed learning to dance the latest dances. Sometimes her father even came to practice with her while I played for them. We also added lessons in drawing in which she developed great skill. She later learned to paint with watercolors, producing several acceptable pieces.

The months flew by. I maintained a regular, although reduced, correspondence with a few of my closest friends from school. All other contacts dropped away. My status was low enough now that I was no longer considered a proper acquaintance by most. I was happy Annabelle was not old enough to spend time shopping or visiting. There were few chances I would now run across ladies who might publicly cut me.

One year passed, then two. Mr. Thompson allowed me one week away each year to check on my mother and sister. Both had found friends in their little village home. Mother learned to cook and clean with Grace learning right alongside her. They were comfortable, even within the limited budget. I did worry for mother's health. She said she was well, but she looked so weak and frail I had trouble believing her. I suggested she have the apothecary check her health, but she refused. I think she did not want to pay his fee despite my assurances that I could afford to do so.

I know regret is not helpful and accomplishes nothing. Nonetheless, I do regret I did not call the apothecary to see her myself. It might have made no difference, but I will never know now.

Near the end of my third year with the Thompsons I received an express. It came from Mrs. Jones, one of the widowed sisters who befriended my mother. She wrote that mother and Grace had both caught an illness that had passed around the village recently. Grace recovered quickly. Due to her already weak constitution, my mother did not recover. According to the note my mother had died that morning. Mrs. Jones and her sister took Grace in until I could make arrangements for her.

Mr. Thompson reached out to his contacts for information then sent an express of his own. He quickly received confirmation of an available place for Grace in a boarding school that came recommended as respectable but still had a tuition low enough that I would be able to afford it. I had saved as much as I could of my pay and had a small savings fund set aside. I had learned that upon mother's death her trust fund would pass to me with the same conditions, so I could also count on that quarterly interest payment to help Grace along.

Once again, my employer showed his kindness by sending me in his carriage to collect our belongings and deliver Grace to the school after I saw to my mother's burial. I did not have words to express my gratitude.

Grace and I now had only each other, and barely even that. I held her as she cried for most of our ride to the school. I would be leaving her there among strangers. We both knew it would be some time before we saw each other again. She seemed so much older than her eleven years when she wiped her eyes dry and promised to work hard to be a credit to our family. I cried by myself on the way back to London.

I mourned my mother's loss, but found it true that life does go on. I still had work to do. My charge was now sixteen and nearly ready to come out in society. She started attending small dinners with her parents and some of her father's business partners. I attended alongside her to model proper behavior and guide her. In this way I met several of Mr. Thompson's contacts. Some were very kind and well-spoken men, like the importer, Mr. Gardiner, and the lumber supplier, Mr. Chalmers. Others attended because they had business to transact, but made their disdain for the tradesmen clear. Many of these were men who would have been of my father's circle and several were high ranking officers of the Navy who wanted to purchase the ships Mr. Thompson's company built. Annabelle behaved well no matter what the company. I was very proud of her.

All too soon, it seemed, she was ready to come out in society. Mr. Thompson contacted everyone he could think of to start gathering the necessary invitations, much as my father had done for me. My friend Abigail had married a gentleman of good standing in the Ton. I asked for her assistance as well and she provided a few good invitations along with introductions to the hosts. Annabelle's first season started well. She displayed her accomplishments along with her very proper behavior. She had matured into a very handsome young woman, of the blond haired, willowy type that was so much the fashion. The modiste had provided her with a flattering wardrobe that set just the right tone. At this point I was considered her companion more than her governess. I was provided with a few gowns appropriate to the role. I accompanied her when she went out or made calls. When the young men came to call on her, I acted as chaperone.

I am sure her father was not truly ready for the day, which soon followed, when one of those young men asked for Annabelle's hand in marriage. The gentleman who claimed both her hand and heart was an estate owner of some wealth whose character was established as honorable. His family had owned the land for several generations back. This was just the kind of match her father had hoped for. She was moving away from trade and would now take her place as a gentleman's wife with all the status that gave.

I had done well by my charge. Her father thought so as well. My employment ended with her marriage, but Mr. Thompson showed me yet another kindness by giving me a bonus and an excellent reference. He also helped ask around to find me another position.

Through one of my few remaining contacts I heard that Lord and Lady Rollins were in need of a governess for their two young daughters. I applied for the position. Lady Rollins hired me once she had looked into my credentials. It appeared to be a good situation. The young girls were somewhat fractious, but not unpleasant. I thought I would be able to bring them around to good behavior given time. After a brief visit with my sister I returned to town to take my new place.

I settled in and got to know seven year old Jessica and nine year old Irene, my new charges. I found their early education had been somewhat neglected. Both could barely read or write. They could sew a little but any other accomplishments seemed non-existent. The situation was odd considering the status of the family.

I soon discovered I was their fourth governess and none of the others had lasted long. I was not sure what had happened, but I began to worry. I wanted to do my best by the girls. I also wanted to be sure I was protected, so I asked Mr. Thompson to check with his contacts to see if any other positions might be on offer. Then I started teaching the girls to read and write.

We made good progress and I added other studies little by little. We tried drawing and singing. Irene began to work on learning the pianoforte. They soon became comfortable with me and some of the poor behavior began to dissipate.

In this time I saw little of Lady Rollins and had not yet even met Lord Rollins. All would have been well if that had remained the case. Eventually, however, Lord Rollins returned from their country seat and we were introduced. I was not impressed.

When we met he made suggestive comments I found very unpleasant. Drawing on all my lessons in decorum I let them pass me by as if unheard. I began to understand why they had such trouble keeping governesses. I know I am no beauty, but still the man leered at me every time our paths crossed. I made sure never to be alone with him. He tried to find ways to be alone with me. I was finding it hard to avoid him. His suggestive comments and lewd innuendo became more frequent.

I contacted Mr. Thompson again as the need for a new position became urgent. He notified me that his friend Mr. Gardiner might have a place for me. I arranged with Lady Rollins for an afternoon away. I think she knew of her husband's behavior and that I would soon be leaving like the others. She granted me the time.

Mr. Gardiner told me he was looking for a governess to teach proper behavior to his very wild and spoiled nieces. He needed someone who could take them firmly in hand and rein in almost sixteen years of poor behavior. It would be a difficult job as their mother was similar in her behavior and might try to undermine me. The father was determined to bring his daughters under control. He told me the household would be a safe place for me and I would be treated well. Despite their wildness the girls were kind. The two girls in question had three older sisters who were well behaved and very pleasant young women. All three were being courted by gentlemen of the neighborhood. The older sisters would be very supportive of my efforts with the younger two. It sounded like a challenge I would enjoy taking on and I told him so. He said he would contact his brother about me. Mr. Thompson's recommendation stood heavily in my favor.

I returned to my charges feeling much better about the situation. I did not want to give up on Jessica and Irene, but I would not jeopardize my safety and reputation for them. If I was accepted to take on the position with Mr. Gardiner's nieces I would leave immediately. As it turned out, I left before an offer of a new position was made.

I had managed to avoid Lord Rollins for a few days. I stuck to the schoolroom and rarely left the company of the two girls. If I had to go to any other part of the house I asked one of the maids to go with me. I think they liked the company for the same reason I did. One afternoon though, he insisted on speaking with me in his study. I went to the door, but would not go in alone. He told me that as my employer he had rights to anything of me he wished. He tried to drag me into the room but I resisted. I informed that he was no longer my employer as I was leaving immediately. I begged one of the footmen to help me with my trunk, which I had already packed as a precaution. I asked him to call a hackney for me and help me load my trunk onto it. After I said a quick goodbye to the girls, I walked out the door for the last time.

I felt comfortable enough in my acquaintance with Mr. Gardiner that I went to his warehouse and asked to speak with him. I told him what had happened and asked if it was possible I could speak with his brother right away. He could tell I was shaken by my experience, so he took me to his house and put me in the care of his wife while he sent an express to Hertfordshire before returning to work.

Mrs. Gardiner offered me a kind welcome and a good cup of tea. We had met when she accompanied her husband to a few of Mr. Thompson's dinner parties and I had liked her then. She listened to my experience with Lord Rollins and was incensed by his poor behavior. She agreed that I had little option but to leave since I would not submit to his demands.

We also discussed her nieces. I learned that they had been flirting with soldiers from a local regiment and exposing themselves to danger with their behavior. When other family members discovered what was happening the two girls were confined to their rooms. The fiance of one of the older girls had loaned his sister's companion to the family on a temporary basis to begin the process of reforming them. Mrs. Gardiner thought it likely that I would be hired, although she could not guarantee it.

I stayed the night with the Gardiner family. Early the next morning Mr. Gardiner had the servants load my trunk on his carriage and we set off to a town called Meryton where I would meet with Mr. Thomas Bennet in hopes of becoming governess to his daughters, Kitty and Lydia.


	3. Chapter 3

"Is this Longbourn?" I asked as the carriage turned onto a smaller lane and passed through a gap in the hedges that gave the appearance of a gateway without a gate.

"Yes, we have just entered Longbourn estate," said Mr. Gardiner. "The lanes that turn off this one head to the tenant houses and the dower house. The main house is over that rise and around to the left. The hedges that border this lane and the stand of trees to the side of the house tend to hide it from view until you are directly in front of it."

The air was crisp and cold. The hedges were bare of leaves, but still substantial enough to largely block our view on either side of the lane. I watched with interest as the carriage topped the small rise. Ahead of us I could just make out fields beyond the hedges where the road turned. We turned the corner and after a bit we headed up a smaller rise. As we came over the top we passed the hedges and the view opened out where the lane became a drive. I could now see the house through the bare branches of the trees ahead. The drive turned slightly again, and there we were at Longbourn house.

I examined what I hoped would be my new home for a time. The front and side I could see presented it as a rectangular building, but off to the far side I could see what appeared to be a side wing. The house was built of a slightly reddish stone that had a warm glow in the chill air. A small porch supported by thin stone columns provided a protected area in front of the main door. Beyond the house I could see some outbuildings including a good sized stable and what might be cottages for some of the servants.

Mr. Gardiner helped me from the carriage when it stopped before the entryway. We were clearly expected. The door opened before we reached it and an elderly woman in the garb of an upper servant beckoned us in.

"Welcome back, Mr. Gardiner," she said, "It is good to see you again."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill. May I present Miss York. She may take the place as governess for my nieces. Miss York, this is Mrs. Hill, Longbourn's housekeeper."

"Welcome to Longbourn," Mrs. Hill said to me with a friendly smile which I returned. She turned back to Mr. Gardiner. "They are waiting for you in the back parlor," she said then led the way.

We entered a room of medium size nearly filled with a grouping of chairs and a few small occasional tables. I doubted the room had seen other use that day, for it still had a bit of a chill on it despite the fire crackling merrily in the grate. I expected it would warm quickly with the number of us in the room.

We entered to find three people looking as if they had just arrived, perhaps from another room of the house. The oldest of the three, a man who looked to be in his fifties, was introduced as Mr. Bennet. His white hair framed a face etched with laugh lines and the eyes behind his spectacles had a merry twinkle to them. The second man was introduced as Mr. Darcy, the fiance of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. A tall, handsome man with dark hair and very blue eyes, he stood with a commanding presence. I wondered why he was here and at the order of introductions until the third person, a woman was introduced. She was a pleasant-looking woman in her older thirties or perhaps early forties who was dressed a little more finely than a house servant. I had assumed she was Mrs. Bennet. She was instead introduced as Mrs. Annesley, companion to Mr. Darcy's younger sister and temporary governess to the younger Miss Bennets.

"I have never before hired a governess," said Mr. Bennet in explanation, "and I have asked Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Annesley to help interview you. We would like to be sure that you will be a good fit for them and we for you."

"I quite understand," I said. "I appreciate your consideration."

Mr. Bennet suggested we take our seats. Mr. Gardiner sat slightly apart from us. "I have already conducted my interview," he said. "I will remain in case you need me to confirm any information, but I leave the questioning to you."

The company indicated their understanding of his stance. Mr. Bennet began the interview with a question about my background. "I understand you are a viscount's daughter. It seems unusual that you would become governess to the daughter of a tradesman."

I briefly explained the situation with my father's death and the disposition of his estate based on the will. Mr. Bennet looked uncomfortable at my story, but I could not tell why at the time. I told him of my decision to become a governess and my good fortune in being hired by Mr. Thompson.

Mr. Darcy apparently knew Mr. Thompson and felt favorably towards him. I explained that I had been with the Thompsons for nearly eight years, guiding Miss Thompson until her marriage. I briefly explained the situation with Lord Rollins and mentioned that I had abruptly left his service the day before.

"I know there is no guarantee you will hire me," I told Mr. Bennet, "but I felt the chance was worth the trip. I trust Mr. Gardiner, having met him before in company at the Thompson's. My former employer spoke very highly of him."

Mrs. Annesley asked about my mother and sister. I mentioned the provisions I had made for them, my mother's death and Grace's current situation in a boarding school. Mrs. Annesley appeared to approve of my arrangements.

A discussion of my various accomplishments followed a question from Mr. Darcy. While the usual accomplishments were valued by them, the most serious questions centered on whether I could teach proper deportment. The two young ladies were apparently even more wild than I had thought. I assured them that I had been trained well at home and at school and my experiences taught me that I could pass on that knowledge with a kind but firm hand.

After many hypothetical questions about how certain behaviors would be handled, Mr. Darcy asked, "If your charge was considering an elopement with a man, how would you handle it?" From the looks that passed between Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Annesley and Mr. Darcy I knew there was some story behind this question. I wondered if I would learn it some time.

"I would confine her to her room as I knew of the situation and would notify her father immediately," I answered them. It seemed to be the correct answer from their expressions. A few more questions followed before Mrs. Annesley suggested she take me up to the schoolroom to meet the young ladies. I was impressed that the gentlemen stood as we did and bowed to acknowledge our curtsies before we left the room. For the men to respond as if we were gentlewomen spoke highly of them. Based on that behavior I knew I would be safe here if they hired me for the position.

Mrs. Annesley led me up a back stairway to a room that had clearly been intended as a nursery. The small beds were still there, but it now had a table and chairs set up to make it a schoolroom. Three young ladies occupied the room.

The oldest of the three had dark hair of a more brown tone than my own. The right side of her face was badly bruised, with slight swelling over the cheekbones and around the eye. Despite the clearly painful injury, her golden brown eyes still held a twinkle similar to Mr. Bennet. She was introduced as Miss Elizabeth Bennet. This was Mr. Darcy's fiance.

The younger two shared different coloring and looks than their older sister. Both had dark golden blond hair and light blue eyes which lacked the warm twinkle, although they were by no means unfriendly. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia were very pretty girls. Miss Lydia was taller, despite being the younger, and bit stouter than her sisters but I could see she would turn men's heads when she fully entered society.

After the introductions Miss Elizabeth spoke, "I am sure you are wondering about the bruises although you are too polite to ask. Mr. Darcy's sister and I were recently attacked and I received these before the attacker could be driven off. Miss Darcy's arm was broken in the struggle. The man has been caught and punished."

Before I could respond Miss Lydia begin to whine, "Wickham isn't that bad, Lizzy. I know it was someone else. I don't know why I am being punished anyway..."

"Enough, Lydia!" Miss Elizabeth said very firmly. "Mr. Wickham is dead. He did attack us and then he ran away from the militia. He has been court-martialed and hung."

Miss Lydia looked as though she would argue, but severe looks from both sisters and Mrs. Annesley silenced her. She flounced back to her seat in a pout. I could see she would be a challenge. Miss Kitty seemed less of a problem. After we took seats she asked how my trip from London had been.

"It was cold, but clear and pleasant," I told her. "Mr. Gardiner has a fine carriage which makes for a comfortable trip."

"I have never been to London," she said. "Lizzy, Jane and Mary have all visited the Gardiners there. It was to be my turn this year but I do not know if that will happen now. I expect you know that Lydia and I are in trouble and Papa has declared we are no longer out in society."

"I was aware that you were both in need of a governess, but I was not aware that you had already come out," I answered.

"Mama let us all come out at age fifteen," said Lydia eagerly, "only I was still fourteen until two months ago and got to come out early. It isn't fair that we have to stay in now and be looked after like babies."

"Miss Lydia," said Mrs. Annesley quietly, "we have discussed your poor behavior and why you very much need to be looked after. You must be taught to behave better." Miss Lydia pouted but did not answer back.

"Your previous charge recently married, I understand," said Miss Elizabeth. "Were you able to attend balls and parties with her?"

I accepted the change of subject gratefully. "Yes, the former Miss Thompson attended several events between her coming out and her wedding. I often accompanied her as her companion and chaperone. I was not exactly considered a guest at the events, but I did attend to ensure my charge was protected and behaving properly. I met your aunt and uncle at a few of the dinners Mr. Thompson gave. They are fine people."

"I certainly agree," said Miss Elizabeth. "I love them both and have treasured my visits to their home. I suspect if Kitty learns to display proper behavior she may still be allowed to visit this coming spring, or perhaps travel with them this summer. I was to have taken a tour of the Lake District with them, but I am to be married before Christmas, so that trip will fall to a different sister if they choose to take a niece along."

"Congratulations on your engagement. Mr. Darcy appears a very handsome and well-spoken gentleman."

"He is not always well-spoken," Miss Elizabeth said with a laugh, "but he is very handsome. He managed to insult me the first time we met, but he has been improving since then."

I expected that I would eventually hear the full story if I stayed on, so I did not ask then. Instead I turned to the younger girls and asked, "What you been studying recently? I would like to know where we would pick up if I am hired."

"Study?" scoffed Lydia. "We do not study anything. Mama says I am lively and pretty. I do not need anything more to catch a husband."

Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Annesley rolled their eyes at each other. Miss Kitty looked confused at their reaction.

"I have not really studied anything either," said Miss Kitty, "although I do not think I would mind learning. I can draw a little." She added the last a bit hesitantly.

"That is a good start," I said encouragingly. It was clear Miss Kitty lacked confidence. I suspected she had followed her younger sister into trouble, not the other way round. "Do either of you read?"

"Mrs. Annesley has set us to reading a book of etiquette," answered Miss Kitty, "but before that I only read novels. Lizzy reads everything, but I never saw the point."

"Who wants to read? I would rather go talk with the officers," Miss Lydia put in.

"That is why you are in trouble now," said Mrs. Annesley. "You have been sneaking out to meet with the officers on your own. You are lucky none of them have taken advantage of you and that your reputation has not yet been ruined. Had you been fully compromised your entire family would partake of your ruin."

"Oh, nobody around here cares what we do."

"On the contrary, Lydia," said Miss Elizabeth sternly, "several of our neighbors confided to Mama at the party last Saturday that they were pleased you and Kitty had been withdrawn from society. They felt you were disruptive at gatherings and were concerned that you would be the ruin of our family. You could do with a bit more reading, especially books about proper behavior."

Miss Lydia stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"I believe you have just earned yourself another chapter before you are allowed luncheon," said Mrs. Annesley.

Just then there was a knock at the door. It was opened by a maid who poked her head in and said, "Mr. Bennet would like to see Miss York in the back parlor."

Miss Elizabeth answered, "I will escort her there, Hannah. Thank you." The maid stepped away and Miss Elizabeth stood, turning to her sisters. "I will leave you to your reading. Will you come with me, Miss York?"

I said goodbye to the other three ladies, just in case I was not coming back, then followed Miss Elizabeth back to the parlor where she left me.

I was encouraged that the gentlemen once again rose as I entered. They were also smiling.

"Did my daughters frighten you away from the position?" asked Mr. Bennet after we all sat down again.

"No, sir. I can see Miss Lydia will require firm guidance, but she is not too old to learn. Miss Kitty seems willing and should present little problem. I would like to see what I can make of them both."

"I think we can come to an agreement then," said Mr. Bennet. He went on to offer a reasonable salary which I accepted. They suggested that I work in tandem with Mrs. Annesley for a few days to give me a smoother start. Mr. Darcy felt that by working together and reinforcing each other we could establish my authority and the two girls would less likely to act out or lose the progress they had already made. I agreed with the idea. I had already formed a good opinion of Miss Darcy's companion and expected to work well with her.

A servant was called to take me to my new room so I could unpack as soon as my trunk was brought up. My employment at Longbourn had begun.


	4. Chapter 4

It took little time to unpack my gowns and hang them on the closet pegs. My room was small but not cramped. It had a comfortable bed, a chair and small dressing table and a washstand. My trunk could sit at the foot of the bed and there was still room enough to move around. My room at the Thompson house had been a bit grander, but the Thompson family was much wealthier than the Bennets although the Bennets were of higher status. The room was sufficient and I could envision being comfortable here.

I returned to the schoolroom to join Mrs. Annesley and my charges for luncheon. I expected I would become very familiar with the schoolroom.

Miss Lydia was just finishing her chapter of reading as I reached the room right behind the maid from before. Hannah was carrying a tray with some bread, cheese, cold meats and a full pot of hot tea. I held the door for her and then followed her in.

"At last," said Miss Kitty. "I was becoming quite hungry waiting for Lydia to finish. Will you be staying with us, Miss York?"

I had not time to answer before Miss Lydia broke in, "It is not my fault I had an extra chapter to finish."

"Actually, it is," said Mrs. Annesley. "You were assigned the extra chapter because of your behavior. You have also interrupted the conversation. Miss York, _will_ you be staying?"

"I will," I said. "Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy have asked that you and I work together to provide a smooth transfer." I turned to Miss Kitty, "Thank you for asking, Miss Kitty." She smiled at me.

"Will you insist I read chapters too?" asked Miss Lydia.

"Yes and I will quiz you on them as well. I suspect Mrs. Annesley has not yet simply because everyone else has already been delayed in having their luncheon."

"Quite right," answered my new partner. "But I shall rectify that as soon as we have all eaten. And if you have not paid attention to your extra chapter then you will have to read it again and another one besides."

Miss Lydia sighed. "I do not like having a governess. And now I have two."

The rest of us laughed.

During luncheon we decided that I might address the young ladies by their first names in private but would use the more formal address in company. Mrs. Annesley and I became Mildred and Sophia to each other, but because we needed to maintain our authority Kitty and Lydia still had to call us by the more formal names.

Despite her dislike of having either one or two governesses, I found Lydia to be generally cheerful. She seemed to be like one of those days where the weather changes rapidly from sun to showers and back to sun again. Her pout was well-practiced and could be pulled out at a moment's notice then put away again just as quickly. I wondered if her mercurial temperament could be turned to her advantage. I was interested to see what I could do for her.

Kitty did well when Mildred quizzed her on the assigned reading. While she may not have fully understood the material it was clear she had paid attention by her answers. Lydia had clearly skimmed both chapters or she had understood nothing of what she had read. I suggested that Mildred work with Kitty for a while. I would read through the chapters with Lydia to see if I could help her understand them instead of just setting her to re-reading.

Lydia and I sat side by side on one of the little beds as if it were a low sofa. I handed her the book and asked her to quietly read the first of her two chapters aloud to me.

"I do not want to," she said pertly, putting her pout back on display.

"I did not ask if you wanted to," I said firmly, "I asked you to do it."

She grumbled a bit more. I let her express her displeasure, then I pointed at the book with the firmest look I could muster. Eventually, she gave in. At first I thought she was still being resistant when she had trouble finding the right chapter. Then she started to read. It was painful to hear, yet I could tell she was clearly trying. Her reading was at about the level my most recent charges, Jessica and Irene, had reached at the point I had to leave them. Irene had read for me just two days ago. She had stumbled and picked her way through the words in just the way Lydia did now. I stopped her.

"Lydia, who taught you to read?" I asked quietly in a very neutral tone.

"I do not remember," she said. "I think Jane or Lizzy might have taught me my letters. I remember Lizzy helping me learn to write my name. I usually have Kitty read for me or help me spell if I need to write something. Mama said reading is silly anyway. No man wants to marry a woman who spends her time reading."

"Your sister, Miss Elizabeth, reads. Mr. Darcy wants to marry her."

"I know. It is confusing."

"I am going to tell you something very important, Lydia. Please listen." She nodded. "Knowing how to read gives you power. If you must trust someone else to read or write for you, then you give them the opportunity to cheat or lie to you. If you can read, you can learn _anything_ because someone is sure to have written about it. If you can write you can help yourself remember things and you can pass on information to other people. Do you understand that?"

"I think so," she said, although she still looked confused. "Was Mama wrong?"

"Not completely. She was probably referring not to being able to read, but choosing to read literature instead of fashion magazines, letters and your household accounts. It is true that _some_ men prefer to marry women who do not choose to broaden their minds in that way. They will refer to educated women as bluestockings and look down on them. An educated woman will intimidate them because such men are often not well-educated themselves."

"So intelligent men like to marry educated women?"

"In many cases. They know that an educated woman can run a household better and can teach her children better. She also can speak with him about things that are important to him because she is able to learn more. Well-educated men are also often more wealthy than uneducated men. This makes them better prospects for marriage."

"Mr. Darcy is very smart and reads lots of books. Mama says he is very rich too. Do you think he likes Lizzy because she reads lots of books?" Lydia said, still looking confused and unsure.

"That may be part of it. They have things in common because they have probably read many of the same books. That gives them something to talk about together. I am sure he likes your sister for many other reasons as well, but talking about books can be a good start." I kept my tone gentle, although I wondered why she had not understood this before.

"I thought I wanted to marry a soldier. They look so handsome in their uniforms and they all tell me how pretty and lively I am. Mrs. Annesley said most of them do not have much money and cannot afford to marry. They just tell me I am pretty because they want to take my virtue. Is that true?"

"Most soldiers join the military because they do not have enough money to support themselves otherwise. There are some who may have future expectations of an inheritance and others who truly want to be soldiers because they enjoy the life, but they are few and far between. Men of the lower ranks, in particular, do not earn enough to support a wife in the manner you are accustomed to living. Even a colonel may have trouble providing a safe home and one or two servants for his wife. The wife of a lieutenant or captain would probably have to do all her own housework as well as scrimping and saving to make ends meet. She would not have new clothes to wear or fancy ribbons and lace. Her husband would not be able to afford them. Do you really want that kind of life?"

"Well, no," she said, "I want to dance and go to parties and have lots of pretty dresses to wear."

"If that is what you want from life, you have some learning to do. You will either need to find a very wealthy husband or you will need to change what you want from life. I think we need to start by teaching you to read properly. I expect everyone in your family thought someone else had taught you, so they all just assumed you could. Am I right?"

She pouted just a bit and in a very sulky tone said, "Probably."

We turned back to the book and I helped her work through several paragraphs. Of course the bigger words gave her trouble, but I also noticed she sometimes mixed up letters that looked similar. I felt it might be valuable to start right back at the beginning and have her write out the alphabet. We would need to return to the table for that. I did not want to embarrass Lydia but I thought her sister would be a good support to her if asked. That could come a little later, though. I started by claiming the table.

"Mildred, I wonder if you and Kitty could move over here to the beds. I would like to do some writing practice with Lydia and we will need the table."

We switched places and I had Lydia get out the writing supplies. I quietly asked her to start by writing the alphabet just to show me what she had remembered. She eventually completed it correctly, although she hesitated over several of the letters. When asked her about her hesitation she explained, "I have embroidered samplers with the alphabet on them following a pattern Mama gave me. I was picturing the sampler in my head when you saw me hesitate."

"You have a good memory then. You were able to get the shapes written correctly. Now let us see if you can learn to recognize each for itself instead of the picture of the whole alphabet you have in your head."

We began to go over the letters one by one. We discussed the individual letter and the sound it stood for. I had her write the letter in upper case and lower case, in print and cursive until she thought she recognized it and then we moved to the next letter. We had covered about half of the letters before it was time to go down to dinner.

Mildred and I were to join the family at meals so we could watch the girls and model proper behavior. Kitty seemed content with her afternoon of study. She had focused on her own work and not paid attention to Lydia's work. I think Mildred had understood what I was teaching and distracted her charge to help me. Lydia was subdued, yet at the same time I could tell she was proud of what she had accomplished that afternoon. I was certainly proud of her and I told her so right before we went down.

I enjoyed dinner and the opportunity to meet the rest of the family. The conversation was lively and the food very good. Mr. Darcy did prove to be a very well-educated man, as did Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet. Miss Elizabeth held her own in conversation with the three men. Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, found lace, ribbons and wedding plans more to her taste for conversation. She lamented to Miss Bennet that a Mr. Bingley had not yet proposed. She was upset about a recent party and how disappointing someone named Mr. Collins had turned out. I determined to ask Mildred about the people Mrs. Bennet mentioned so I could better understand her conversation.

When the meal ended the gentlemen decided not to separate, but instead asked to have a family discussion. Mildred and I went upstairs so she could help me settle in and we could talk over the day. She brought a chair from her room into mine and we both sat to talk.

Mildred told me that Mr. Darcy had come to Hertfordshire with his friend Mr. Bingley, who also brought his two sisters and a brother-in-law. The sisters were apparently very unpleasant women. The unmarried one had been chasing Mr. Darcy for some time and made Miss Darcy very uncomfortable. They attended an assembly the day Mr. Darcy arrived. He had a severe headache and was in a poor mood. During the course of the evening he insulted Miss Elizabeth. He later apologized and she chose to forgive him. They became friends. At her suggestion he decided to lease Longbourn's dower house so he could get away from Mr. Bingley's sister and could bring Miss Darcy to join him.

She went on to tell me that Mr. Darcy and his sister often walked with Miss Elizabeth on fine mornings. The week previous they had been on such a walk when Miss Elizabeth mentioned a newcomer to town who had joined the militia unit. This man was an old enemy of the Darcy family and Mr. Darcy rushed to consult with Mr. Bennet. Miss Elizabeth and Miss Darcy intended to walk to Longbourn but were attacked by the very man Mr. Darcy was worried about. The man tried to kidnap Miss Darcy and Miss Elizabeth was injured while trying to protect her. He broke Miss Darcy's arm and injured her shoulder before a boy from Longbourn came and helped Miss Elizabeth fight him off. They had learned from the attacker that Lydia had been sneaking in to town and she had told this man, Mr. Wickham, about the habits of the Darcys. Mr. Wickham had deserted the militia and stolen a horse. Mr. Darcy's cousin tracked him. The first horse had fallen and become lame. Mr. Wickham stole another and that horse threw him, injuring him badly. He dragged himself off into hiding, but the cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, tracked him down and returned him to the unit commander. Mr. Wickham was judged and hung the next day.

Mr. Collins was a distant cousin to Mr. Bennet and due to an entail was the heir. He was apparently a very stupid and unpleasant man, but Mrs. Bennet had hoped he would marry one of the daughters to ensure they would have a home after Mr. Bennet died. He had the right to throw them all out when he inherited. Mr. Bennet refused to allow the man to marry any of his daughters after meeting him the previous week when he came to visit. It turned out that Mr. Collins had been granted a living by Mr. Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine had long insisted that Mr. Darcy was engaged to her daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh. Mr. Darcy had not agreed to this, but his was a very stubborn woman. Mr. Collins wrote to her that Mr. Darcy was here and considered himself engaged to Miss Elizabeth. Matters had come to a head the previous Saturday at a party Mrs. Bennet had given to celebrate the engagement of her daughter. Mr. Bingley had brought his sister and her new fiance, Sir Howard Curlow. Miss Bingley verbally attacked Miss Elizabeth and would had to be dragged away by her fiance and brother before she could physically attack. No sooner was she out the door than Lady Catherine had shown up. She engaged in a shouting match with both Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Bennet before she was thrown out. Mr. Collins was thrown out along with her.

By the time Mildred was finished I understood a good deal more about the dynamics in the house. Mrs. Bennet was afraid and had pushed her daughters out early in hope of finding them husbands quickly. I understood Mr. Bennet's discomfort with my story and how it paralleled what could happen to his own family. I wondered if he would take steps to protect his family or if he would rely on Mr. Darcy to do that for him. Time would tell.

For now, I was happy to be settled into a safe, comfortable home. I felt I could work well with Kitty and Lydia and I looked forward to learning more about the rest of the family. After Mildred left I settled into bed ready for the first good night's sleep in some time. Tomorrow would be a new day.


	5. Chapter 5

During our discussion Mildred told me a little bit about the family's habits, so I knew Mr. Bennet was one of the early risers in the household. Kitty and Lydia, apparently, were not. I was an early riser myself and felt that might be the best time for a discussion with Mr. Bennet. I dressed and made my way down to the dining room. Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth were talking quietly while eating their breakfast.

"Come in, Miss York. Pour yourself some coffee if you like and get some breakfast off the sideboard. We generally do not have tea until Mrs. Bennet and the other girls come down. Lizzy and I are both coffee drinkers."

"I would enjoy a cup of coffee. Thank you." I poured myself a cup and selected a few items from the sideboard. I would definitely not starve in this household.

I wanted to discuss the topic of Lydia, but was not sure if I should bring it up there. I mulled it over while I ate. Apparently my expression betrayed me.

"You look troubled, Miss York," Miss Elizabeth said. "Is there anything wrong?" I remembered Mildred's high opinion of Miss Elizabeth and made my decision.

"Actually, there is something about Miss Lydia I wanted to discuss with Mr. Bennet. I think you might also be able to help. Is this a good time?"

Mr. Bennet sighed. "What has the girl done this time?"

"It is not about her behavior, or at least nothing she has done wrong. I was working with her yesterday and discovered that she has a problem of which the rest of the family may not be aware. Miss Lydia can barely read or write. She can only write out the alphabet because she can picture a sampler she made from a pattern she was given."

"One of MY daughters is illiterate?" said Mr. Bennet in shock.

"I questioned her and she does remember Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth helping her with letters and teaching her to write her name, but then no one seems to have taught her much more. I imagine with so many people in the family everyone assumed someone else was helping her. She probably did not want to work at it and so didn't ask anyone to teach her more. She has been covering for it by having Miss Kitty read aloud anything she truly needs. She also has her sister do any writing for her. She claims Mrs. Bennet has often said that no man wants to marry a woman who reads. She uses that as an excuse for not learning."

Mr. Bennet was shaking his head in wonder. "Can not read?" he practically whispered.

"That would explain a great deal," said Miss Elizabeth. "I know she scoffs at reading and that the attitude came from Mama. I had also noticed her tendency to have Kitty read aloud. I thought it was more laziness than anything. How has she been handling the chapters Mrs. Annesley has assigned?"

"Very poorly. She can pick through the easier words if she applies herself, but she misses so many other words that what she reads does not make sense. She fakes her answers by taking a good guess or she becomes petulant and refuses to answer. Some of her poor behavior is driven by the need to cover what she does not know. I had a good talk with her and she is willing to learn. We began to go back over the individual letters of the alphabet yesterday so she can learn them properly. She has a very good memory. I think she will pick it up quickly. We also discussed Mrs. Bennet's attitude and I explained that her mother was probably not discounting all reading, just the kind that might make a man intimidated if he thought a woman was too smart."

"Yes," said Miss Elizabeth, "Mama has often been upset that Papa has taught me too much. I had to laugh that I was the first to become engaged and to a man who truly values my education." She smiled and Mr. Bennet smiled weakly as well. He still seemed overcome.

"Miss Elizabeth, I do not want to embarrass your sister by making a fuss over her lack of skill in reading. I had thought to enlist Miss Kitty's help since she will be sure to notice the lessons. What are your thoughts about discussing the situation with anyone else?"

"I will quietly inform Jane and Mary. We can help support Lydia as she needs it. I think it is best not to mention it to Mama unless Lydia does so. She _would_ fuss and might drive Lydia to stop trying."

"I agree," Mr. Bennet finally spoke. "I should probably stay out of it as well. Lydia has very little respect for me. If I try to help her she will probably rebel. I am still astounded that we did not know."

"It will be all right, Papa," Miss Elizabeth patted her father's hand. "Miss York will teach her and Lydia will learn."

"I failed her," he said quietly. "I just stopped paying attention and hid when the house became so noisy with all you girls and your mother fluttering about with her fits of nerves." He sighed heavily.

"You cannot change what you did, Papa," Miss Elizabeth said firmly. "You can only change what you WILL do. You have started. Kitty and Lydia have Miss York to guide them. Mary and I will have respectable husbands to care for us and hopefully Jane will as well. Mama is already calmer knowing she will be cared for no matter what happens to you. You are taking the actions you need in order to protect the family. All will be well."

He sighed again, but nodded to her. The he turned to me. "Miss York, I do have to thank you. Hearing your story yesterday prompted me to take a good look at how poorly I have prepared my family for my eventual demise. Longbourn is entailed to a distant cousin and I had not even prepared a will, let alone put any measures in place to protect my wife and daughters. That is changing. Your story convinced me I had to to take action. The family discussion we had yesterday evening was to explain the entail and what we can do about it. We will be starting with an inventory of the house tomorrow with the help of a couple of Mr. Gardiner's clerks. Each of the family members is to inventory their own personal possessions, working in pairs with one listing and one writing. Lydia may find this difficult although I would expect Kitty to do the writing in their pair now."

"I will help her as well. I think an inventory is a very good start." I told him.

"I think so as well," said Mr. Gardiner, entering the room. He poured himself some coffee and came to join us. "Were you updating Miss York on our plans?"

"Yes, brother. She is part of this family now and will need to know why so many people will be gathered here tomorrow scribbling away." Mr. Bennet had not quite regained the twinkle in his eye, but he made a good attempt at sounding jovial.

"So is it safe to leave you here?" Mr. Gardiner asked me with a laugh.

"Very much so. I am looking forward to my work here," I assured him.

"I plan to visit with Mr. Thompson in a few days. I will tell him where you have landed. Would you like me to carry a note from you? I am leaving shortly after breakfast, but if you would like to write something I will wait for it."

"Thank you, Mr. Gardiner, I would like to send a note. Will you also carry my thanks to your wife. I appreciate the friendship and hospitality she showed me."

"I will. Please do not rush your own breakfast. I plan to savor this. My sister has a very good cook and I always enjoy meals here."

I did as he suggested and enjoyed my breakfast and coffee before going up to write a note to reassure Mr. Thompson that I was now in a good situation. Miss Bennet and Mildred had come down to breakfast when I returned. Mr. Gardiner finished the last of his coffee as I came in.

"Very good timing, Miss York," he said. I just sent to have my carriage prepared and now I can be off as soon as it is ready."

I thanked him again for carrying the message and then went off to the schoolroom to prepare for the day. I was glad that Mildred would be able to look after Kitty's needs for a few days so I could work more intensively with Lydia. She needed to learn more than just reading, of course, but I wanted to get her off to a good start. Mildred soon joined me and I discussed my plans. We made two lists of topics that I should start with, one for each girl. We were agreed that Kitty would need to learn how best to support her sister. It was important to break the patterns of dependence they had with each other. Kitty needed to stand on her own and develop her own skills. Lydia needed to do the same and step back from being the leader of the duo. After we had done some planning Mildred suggested we wake the girls and get them started on their day.

"You will need to wake them each morning," she said. "Otherwise they will not show up in the schoolroom until after luncheon." She showed me to their rooms and she woke Kitty while I woke Lydia.

Both girls grumbled and complained a bit. They did get up despite their complaints and called for Hannah to help them dress. I told Lydia I would expect them in the schoolroom within an hour, which I felt gave them plenty of time to prepare for the day and have their breakfast. I planned to wake them a little earlier going forward. As long as they retired at a reasonable hour there was no excuse for spending the entire morning in bed. That might be fashionable in the Ton, but were in the country. We would keep country hours.

I was pleasantly surprised when both girls showed up before the allotted time expired. In fact, they both seemed eager to start. As we had agreed, Mildred took Kitty aside and began to work with her on embroidery. Lydia was apparently already a skilled needlewoman, a very useful accomplishment for her to have.

Lydia and I had not quite settled down to work when Miss Elizabeth entered the room carrying an odd shaped package wrapped in cloth. She walked over to us and set the package down gently on the table.

"Lydia," she said, "I understand from Miss York that you will be doing a great deal of writing practice since a lady needs to be able to write a good hand to correspond with her friends and family. Aunt Gardiner gave me this to practice on and I would like to give it to you now."

She unwrapped the cloth to expose a beautifully carved box sitting atop what turned out to be a slate set in an equally beautiful frame. The frame opened like a book so the protective cover remained with the base. It was hinged in a way that the cover folded all the way to the back and could be secured in place with the same latch it used when folded forward to cover the slate. The box contained several good quality chalk pencils, each wrapped with thin paper that could be torn back as the chalk wore down. In a compartment at one end of the box was a real sponge affixed to a wooden handle. Miss Elizabeth explained that it would wipe the chalk off the slate with less mess than a rag. It would need to be shaken out regularly and occasionally washed to remove the chalk dust that would clog the pores of the sponge. She cautioned Lydia to be sure it was fully dry before the next time she used it. It was truly an exquisite gift.

Lydia seemed to realize that as well. She looked ready to cry, but managed to thank her sister without breaking down. Kitty had rushed to see what was in the package and she exclaimed over the beautiful carvings as did Mildred. Kitty asked why Lydia would need a slate to practice her writing on. Lydia looked at me and then said, "I think Lizzy knows already, but I never learned to read or write very well. Miss York is going to teach me and the slate will help me practice."

Kitty just nodded and said, "I think that is a very good idea. I did not realize you had something so very pretty to work on, Lizzy."

"I have had it put away for many years. I probably would not have been willing to share it with either of you when you were younger, but now I think Lydia will enjoy working with it as much as I did." She smiled at both her sisters and continued, "It would probably be best not to mention any difficulties Lydia is having with her writing to Mama. Mary and Jane can be trusted to help, but you know Mama would fuss. She does worry so over us."

Kitty and Lydia both agreed. Miss Elizabeth turned to me. "I understand you, Kitty and Lydia have agreed to have you call them by their given names in private. Please call me Elizabeth or Lizzy. I know I am not your charge, but I would like to be your friend."

"I have asked that Kitty and Lydia continue to call me Miss York as a reminder that I am teaching them. I would be happy to have you call me Sophia in private since, as you say, you are not my charge. I would enjoy becoming your friend."

"Thank you, Sophia. I am sure that you have much work to do, so I will leave you all to it." With another smile for her sisters Elizabeth left the room.

Lydia was running her fingers reverently over the flowers and ivy carved into the frame around the slate surface. Kitty was doing much the same with the pencil box. Mildred and I let them have a few moments, then she called Kitty back to her embroidery and I sat back down to work with Lydia.

"It is so pretty," she said softly, "and Elizabeth just gave it to me."

"Your sister loves you and wants you to succeed. Let us start. I am going to name a letter we learned yesterday and I want you to write the letter on your slate in all the different ways we practiced and then tell me the sounds it stands for. They will be out of the usual order, so you cannot rely on your sampler memory." She laughed and we began.

Her memory proved good as she accurately reproduced each letter as I named it. Once we got her comfortable with English I suspected she would pick up French or Italian with ease. Being able to memorize the words and patterns of speech was the hardest part of learning a language. She had the memory for it. We worked over the rest of the alphabet before luncheon. Lydia enjoyed using the slate. She smiled as she wrote and frequently ran her fingers over the carvings as we discussed the sounds of the letters.

After luncheon we went down to the music room so I could see what skill, if any, they had on the pianoforte. Kitty was able to just barely pick out a tune with her right hand.

"Mary tried to teach me," she said, "but I did not want to practice and she soon gave up. I think I would like to learn now."

Lydia explained that she had never even touched the pianoforte keys before. She admitted it might be fun to play, but it seemed like a great deal of work.

"Most of our accomplishments are," I told her. "That is why they are considered accomplishments."

Mildred took Lydia off to the side of the room to discuss proper conversation in company while I began to teach Kitty to play scales. "Scales form the building blocks for everything else you will learn," I told her. "If you learn to do them correctly you can learn to play more easily." I helped her sit properly and hold her hands at the best angle. She picked on the idea of the basic fingering quickly, but keeping her posture was a challenge. I did not push her for too long. She would succeed better if playing became a joy instead of a chore.

After a while I escorted the girls out for a walk in the gardens. Mr. Bennet had instructed that they were not to leave the house unaccompanied. He did not want to chance them sneaking off to town again.

The weather was still crisp and cold, but the skies were not as clear as they had been the day before. I suspected we might have snow before too long. We did not walk far or fast. I intended just a pleasant break between tasks. We returned to the schoolroom refreshed and ready for something new. Posture and graceful movement seemed a good subject to take up next.

Our first full day of instruction passed well. After I put them through some of Miss Haversham's drills we settled down to other tasks. Lydia proved that she had learned the rest of the alphabet and we began to work on writing out simple words on her slate.

Before going down to dinner the four of us went over the lists of subjects Mildred and I had drawn up. Although we knew the next day would be given over to the inventory I wanted to set a schedule we could follow after that. The girls responded well to being consulted on how to arrange their activities. We all went down to dinner pleased with the day.


	6. Chapter 6

In all my life I had never expected to experience anything like the inventory party. What a funny, happy, chaotic day we made of it.

Mr. Gardiner's clerks, Mr. Tanner and Mr. Barnes, must have left London before sunrise that morning. They arrived just as Kitty and Lydia were finishing breakfast. As promised they brought supplies of pre-ruled paper and a good quantity of pencils. They suggested we use pencil to reduce any mess and they would compile the final inventory in ink. We received pointers on how to describe items and how to use the columns to indicate household items, personal items and so on. Elizabeth and Jane, who had also given me permission to address her by name, had already completed an inventory of their personal items the day previous. Their results were quite similar to the examples the clerks gave.

Mr. Darcy brought his sister and Miss Mary with him. Dr. Burrows also arrived as did Mr. Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam. I was interested to meet these people I had heard about from Mildred. Miss Darcy proved to be a sweet young girl between Kitty and Lydia in age. With her coloring she looked more like their sister than Miss Mary, who favored her father and Miss Elizabeth. Apparently the doctor had approved her visit provided she was cautious in her movements to avoid re-injuring her shoulder or arm. Miss Darcy chose to partner with Miss Mary.

Dr. Burrows was both young and handsome. He clearly wished to spend time with Miss Mary himself, but realized it was best for the young ladies to work together. Mr. Bingley was also handsome in a cute puppy-ish way. He both looked and acted younger than the other men. He was clearly smitten with Jane and probably would have asked to work with her if she had not already volunteered to work with her mother.

I was most particularly struck by the last of the men to enter. I have never been one to for sudden infatuations nor have I been particularly drawn to men in uniform. All that changed when Colonel Fitzwilliam walked into the room. He was not the most handsome man I had ever seen, but something about the way he carried himself and the confident look in his eye drew my attention. I actually felt flustered when we were introduced. It was quite disconcerting. Although I knew nothing could come of the attraction, I rather wished I could have partnered with him for the inventory and had a chance to learn more about him. That was not to be. He partnered with Dr. Burrows to work on the stables and other outbuildings. I partnered with Mildred to go through the household stores.

The rest of the day sounded like the Tower of Babel come to life. The house was filled with voices describing items, the shuffling of paper and the occasional discussion. In the case of Kitty and Lydia that included some brief arguments as they each discovered things the other had borrowed and not returned.

Mrs. Hill and Hannah came round after a while with trays for all the workers – fresh bread and hot bowls of stew. It made for a perfect luncheon. Later, when Kitty and Lydia had finished with their own rooms we switched partners. Mildred worked with Kitty and I worked with Lydia, letting her do the describing while I did the writing.

By the time dinner was ready we had a list for every room. Mr. Tanner and Mr. Barnes would be able to put the items together into categories and identify what went with the house and what could stay with Mrs. Bennet and her daughters. I may not have been able to help my mother when my father died but I was able to help here. It felt good.

We all gathered around the dinner table and told stories of odd things we had found. The colonel told his stories in a way that made making his list sound like one of the epic battles from Homer. Dr. Burrows stole his thunder with a story about the colonel.

"We had finished the tack room and walked into the main part of the stable. The colonel had already tripped on a fallen bridle and landed on the floor. He had later bumped into a hay bale and covered us both with the debris that floated off it. This time his clumsiness went further."

"It was not clumsiness, I was attacked!"

"Ah yes, attacked by a stationary broom handle lying on the ground. In fact it was probably there because you had knocked it down earlier. So we walked into the room and the broom handle attacked his great big clomping feet," the doctor was laughing at this point as were most of us. "He tripped, staggered a few steps and then fell face first into a feed bag. The colonel pulled himself out swearing so loudly that it frightened the horses in their stalls. Or perhaps they were laughing along with me. They neighed and snorted making quite a racket. Almost enough racket to drown out his continued swearing as he dusted off his face and shoulders." The whole table erupted in laughter at the image he painted.

The colonel took the teasing in good part. Many men would have been offended. He considered it funny even when the joke was on him. I enjoyed watching the way his eyes lit up as he told his stories. I could tell he would be serious if the situation warranted it, but now he just wanted us all to enjoy ourselves.

Miss Mary told of finding some figurines hidden in a cabinet. Her mother suggested Mary take them to decorate her new home after she married. It was sweet to see how the doctor immediately jumped to insist that she was welcome to decorate his home in any way that pleased her.

The highlight of the evening came after dinner. Shortly after the men rejoined in the drawing room Lydia, who was sitting next to me, looked up and said "Oh look at Jane's smile! He must have finally proposed!" Apparently Mr. Bingley and Jane had found a moment together and Lydia was the first to see them come in. I tried to remind her that ladies do not shout, but amidst the squeals of joy from Mrs. Bennet and the well wishes of everyone else I could not really be heard. Mildred and I rolled our eyes at the noise. Jane looked radiant. Mildred had told me earlier that Mr. Bingley had been expected to propose for some time. The festive atmosphere must have helped him get his courage up.

I saw the colonel practically knock Mr. Bingley off his feet with a friendly clap on the back. Suddenly Mr. Bennet cut in and demanded that Mr. Bingley attend him in his study. Mr. Bennet winked at Mr. Darcy on the way out. They must have had some private joke going on. Mr. Bingley looked scared stiff.

Mrs. Bennet pulled Jane to sit with her on the sofa and several of her sisters crowded round to congratulate her. Mildred and I stayed where we were. We were both happy for Jane, but it was a time for her family to celebrate.

The colonel was watching me. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. He continued to smile and laugh, but there was also something sad in his look. I wished I dared ask him to come over and talk with me, but I did not and he did not. If I had still been the eligible young woman of means I once was he might have come courting me, but now I was just the governess. I had no dowry and no prospects to attract a man.

Mr. Bingley and Mr. Bennet eventually returned to the group. Mr. Bingley had a dazed look about him. I suspected Mr. Bennet had taken the opportunity to tease the younger man. He had, however, given his consent to the marriage so all was well.

When the party broke up for the evening Mildred decided to return to the dower house with the Darcys and Miss Mary. We had established a schedule for the girls and they had accepted me. I should be able to carry on as she had begun. I did feel a little lonely as I watched her leave. It had been pleasant to have a friend who understood my position. Mildred knew what it was to be a gentlewoman and to lose that status to become a servant. She had done what was necessary to support herself after husband died as I had done to support my family after my father died. Our experiences were not the same, but they were close enough. Jane and Elizabeth were sympathetic, but they did not have the experience to truly understand. At least my friend was not going far.

The next morning Kitty and Lydia were still excited over Jane's engagement and the activities of the day before. To give them a chance to wind down I had them start with embroidery, an activity that could be done while talking. By the end of the hour I had set for the task they had both calmed significantly.

Kitty still needed to expand her repertoire of stitches and Lydia needed a reason to sit and draw which would overcome her resistance to the task. I challenged them both to draw out a design that they could use to embroider a new handkerchief. Kitty had already done some drawing and enjoyed it. I hoped that creating her own pattern would give her embroidery a boost. She thought a bit and came up with an image of a cat sitting in a field of flowers. I liked the image because each flower could be done in a different decorative stitch. Lydia's attention kept returning to her new slate. She used the pattern of ivy and flowers from the frame to create a picture that would work in a corner of the handkerchief. She did very well for a first attempt at drawing.

"I did not think drawing was this easy," she told me. "I was able to picture what I wanted in my head like when I used to picture the alphabet. It just came out my fingers once I had the picture solid."

"There will be things you need to learn to improve your art," I told her. "Good artists stretch to be better and learn new techniques to help them. You have a very good start if you can picture what you want and transfer it to the paper. You will both do well at drawing."

"I like it," said Kitty. "It feels good to take a blank page and create something that lets other people see what is in my mind."

I liked that we seemed to be making progress. Their behavior would improve as they had other ways to get the attention they craved.

It had snowed the night before. I took my charges out for a short walk in the thin layer of white that lay over the garden. We had fun listening to the snow crunch under our feet. Lydia wanted to throw snowballs, but I reminded her that she was no longer a child. If she chose to behave like one she would be kept out of society even longer. I understood the impulse, but she did have to learn how to behave like an adult before it would be acceptable to lapse into child-like behavior.

When we returned inside we learned from Jane that Elizabeth had walked to the dower house with one of the servant boys as escort. "Lizzy walks everywhere," said Lydia. "I am surprised she took anyone with her, but Teddy will not be any trouble. I bet he will get to throw snowballs. Of course he is only eight."

"Why would she take such a young boy as escort?" I asked.

"Teddy is the one who helped save Lizzy and Georgie from Mr. Wickham," said Kitty. "He is an orphan who lives with the servants at Longbourn. Mrs. Hill has looked after him since his parents died. They were tenants here. Papa and Mr. Darcy have been teaching him to be a messenger. I guess Lizzy is his message this time." We all laughed. I was glad to see that Lydia did not defend Mr. Wickham. Perhaps she was learning.

We went back to the schoolroom and did some of Mrs. Haversham's drills for graceful movement. Lydia was resistant at first. "What is wrong with the way we move? Why would anyone care?"

"A woman who moves with grace and elegance is always assumed to be of higher status than a woman who does not. You create an impression by the way you enter a room. Good posture demonstrates confidence in yourself. That is attractive to other people. No matter how pretty you are, you will look prettier if you carry yourself well."

"You mean a man is more likely to pay attention to me if I learn these exercises?" Kitty asked.

"It will help. If you walk into a room and show by the way you move that you are confident, men will see you as more important than a woman who walks hesitantly or slumps and fidgets. You will need to use every tool you can to be seen as a worthy marriage partner. Learning to move well will cost you nothing but time yet it can mean all the difference when you meet new people." They may not have been fully convinced, but they did cooperate.

After luncheon Kitty worked on her reading while Lydia and continued to work on writing and recognizing simple vocabulary words. Both made good progress. We decided to enjoy a change of scene, so we took our workbaskets down to the drawing room to keep company with Mrs. Bennet and Jane. Kitty and Lydia would both begin on their new handkerchief designs while I worked on a project I had going.

Mrs. Bennet was busy discussing wedding plans with Jane, so the three of us sat together off to the side of the room. Even if we were not talking with anyone else it was still a change from the schoolroom. After a while Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth came in. They must have walked back from the dower house together.

Mr. Darcy spoke to the Bennet women and asked permission to use Jane, Kitty and Lydia's given names and have them call him Will. He surprised me by asking my opinion on whether it would be acceptable for my two charges to defy propriety in this small way. I agreed with his reasoning that it would be acceptable in private given that the wedding was only two weeks away. He would be their brother then and the less formal address would be appropriate. I gave consent.

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth sat with Mrs. Bennet and talked about a party she wished to give. She had not been pleased by the interruptions to the last one. For some reason Mr. Darcy made a specific request that she serve a mince pie. Lydia giggled a bit at the mention of the pie. I had no idea why it was funny.

We continued our embroidery work while the others talked. Lydia's design was taking shape well and Kitty had nearly completed the cat on hers. I would help her with the various flower stitches later.

Eventually Mr. Darcy noticed that it had started to snow lightly again. He decided to walk home. After she saw him off, Elizabeth returned to the drawing room and sat with us. She was impressed by the drawings her sisters were using as a pattern. She encouraged them both in their work, both the drawing and the embroidery. She told them she had tried to draw but never really got the knack of it. Mrs. Bennet came over to see what Elizabeth was talking about and she told them their designs were pretty. Then she went back to Jane to continue with talk of her wedding.

After a time my charges and I gathered our materials together and headed back to the schoolroom. We worked on other tasks until dinner. I was pleased with the progress we made.

Dinner was a calm affair. The only bit of news was that Mr. Darcy had sent over a note to let Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet know that he had been suddenly called to town. I hoped he would have a safe journey.


	7. Chapter 7

The girls woke up cheerfully the next day, much to my surprise. They ate their breakfast and came upstairs ready to work. I did not wish to spoil their attitude by questioning them, so I was left to wonder if they had been affected by the praise they received for their work the previous day or if they were simply enjoying having regular attention paid to them. They probably would not know the answer themselves. I accepted it as good fortune and proceeded with the lessons. We did reading and writing practice and then moved on to Mrs. Haversham's drills.

Kitty and Lydia were taking turns attempting to rise from a seated position then sit again while keeping a book balanced on their heads. I corrected their posture as needed and offered tips to make their movements smooth. A knock at the door cause both girls to turn abruptly and the books clattered to the floor. Elizabeth entered and looked at the books in surprise, raising one eyebrow in question.

"I am sorry to interrupt you," she said. "I was hoping you would not mind if I sat in on your lessons for a bit. I am worried about Mr. Darcy traveling in the snow and need company to take my mind off it. Mama and Jane are busy talking about Jane's wedding and I found the discussion made me more fretful."

"Of course, Elizabeth. We would be happy to have you. Your sisters are learning to move smoothly. The books currently on the floor are meant to remain on their heads as they practice sitting and standing."

"Can you do it, Lizzy?" asked Lydia with a strong challenge in her voice.

"I do not know if I still can. Aunt Gardiner had me practice frequently during one of my visits." Elizabeth picked up one of the books and gently placed it atop her hair. She walked once around the room. Returning to the chair she seated herself, still keeping the book balanced. It was only as she started to rise from the seat that the book wobbled and fell." All of us laughed while Kitty and Lydia clapped for her performance.

"I always did have the most trouble standing back up gracefully," she said, shaking her head a little.

"It is the angle of your back," I told her. "We can work on that. For now, pick a sister to help. With two of us to provide assistance they can both practice at the same time."

The lesson proceeded with Elizabeth assisting Lydia and me with Kitty. Before too long both girls started to understand which movements were safe and which would cause the books to fall. We varied sitting and standing with short walks around the room. The girls dissolved into laughter at one point when their books fell off at the same time with one louder than normal bang on the floor. Lydia insisted that Elizabeth have her turn learning to stand up with the book. I came over to help point out the moment when her back took too steep an angle. With Lydia encouraging her she practiced until she was able to rise several times in a row without losing the book.

"Just wait until you try the stairs, Lydia. That can be difficult." She told her sister.

"Stairs too?" Both sisters asked me.

"Stairs too," I confirmed. "Miss Haversham had us walking all over the house to help us learn to keep good posture at all times."

"Mama will have a fit seeing us carrying books around," said Lydia with a giggle.

"And Papa will have a fit seeing you drop them on the floor," Elizabeth added, smiling.

"I want to try the stairs," said Kitty. She had more problems with her posture than Lydia had shown. The lessons had already improved that.

"I will join you if you wish," said Elizabeth, laughing, "I can use the practice myself."

They headed out the room towards the stairs. All three did well until they reached the top of the stairs. Kitty's book fell with a clatter on her first step down. Her sisters giggled as she picked it up and returned to the top step to try again. This time she made it halfway down before the book fell. She picked it up and trudged back up to the top where I stood. Elizabeth lost her book one step from the bottom, partly because she was laughing at her sisters. Lydia was the only one who made it all the way down the stairs, but she lost her book two steps further into the hall. Elizabeth came back up to the top to start her run again. She was two steps into her descent when Mrs. Bennet came into the hall from the drawing room.

"Good heavens! What is all this racket? What are you all doing with books on your heads?" All three girls dropped their books again as they laughed at their mother's reaction. Jane had entered right behind her mother.

"I remember doing this exercise with Aunt Gardiner," she said. "It helps you walk with good posture."

"And that can help you attract a husband!" added Lydia.

"I do not see how you can attract a man with a book on your head," Mrs. Bennet said in confusion.

"You take the book off before you meet any men," said Kitty.

"I should hope so," said Mr. Bennet, who had also been drawn out by the noise. "Books are for reading. Not for throwing down the stairs."

Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia fell into giggles again as their second parent also reacted as predicted.

"It is an exercise, Mrs. Bennet," I put in. "Balancing the book on your head as you walk, sit or stand up teaches you to carry yourself well and display confidence."

"Which men do find attractive," said Mr. Bennet. "Could I suggest you use book-shaped blocks of wood instead of real books? I would truly feel better about the exercise if you did."

"Of course, Mr. Bennet," I agreed. "We will put the books away and wait to do our exercises until the blocks can be cut for us."

"I will have one of the men take care of that today," he said, then returned to his study.

Mrs. Bennet had been surprised at her husband's support of the exercise. "I had no idea," she said. "Jane, you say you did this with your Aunt Gardiner?"

"Yes, Mama. So did Lizzy and the both of us worked with Mary."

"Imagine that. It must have helped. You are all three engaged after all. And to such fine young men." She headed back into the drawing room shaking her head slightly. "Balancing books! Imagine that."

The four young ladies had their hands to their mouths trying to stifle more giggles. I tamped down a swift moment of sadness. My sister would have enjoyed this as much as the four of them did. I said a quick prayer that Grace was doing well then returned my thoughts to the matter at hand.

By this time the sisters had brought themselves back under control. Jane asked, "Lizzy, do you want to join us in the drawing room?"

"No," she answered with a sigh. "This has proved a good distraction, but I am still worried about Will. I think I will go to the dower house for the day. Georgiana is probably as worried as I am. Perhaps Mary will want to come back here to spend some time with all of you. The wedding is in just two weeks and she will be so far away from us in London. I will take the carriage in case she wants to ride back in it."

"You should probably take your nightclothes and something to wear at services tomorrow," I suggested. "The weather could turn bad quickly and leave you stranded there for the night."

"That is what I am afraid of for Will. He wants to be back in time for services and to hear the second banns called. I know he planned to try to return this afternoon. I hope he will be safe."

"We all hope so," said Kitty. "Give our best wishes to Georgie. You can tell her I am starting to learn how to play the pianoforte."

"I will tell her all about the fun you have been having. I had best go pack and call for the carriage."

She handed me her book, then went to her bedchamber to pack. Jane returned to the drawing room and Kitty and Lydia gathered their books. The three of us returned to the schoolroom.

After setting things to rights, we decided to go down to the music room. Lydia brought her embroidery to work on while Kitty had her music lesson. I suggested to Kitty that she try sit as if she had a book on her head to remember her upright posture. We went over the scales again and I had her practice them through several times. Then I decided to get Lydia involved. She did not want to work on the pianoforte, but I thought I could get her singing.

"Kitty, we are going to do something a little different. I want you to start with the first scale we practiced, but this time I want you both to sing along. Play the scale slowly, holding each note to a count of four. Sing the sound of the letter o with each note."

"Why?" asked Lydia.

"Why sing or why o?" I asked in return.

"Both," she said with a grin.

"Singing is an accomplishment you can learn without being tied to an instrument. You can practice anywhere. The sound of the letter o and the other vowels are considered pure sounds. They are good to practice on because they have the cleanest sound. And I know you will ask why scales – they are the building blocks for good singing as well as good playing. Now, let us start."

The first run-through was fairly bad. We tried again and this time both of them got the idea. After a few runs I had Kitty change key and we sang the new scale. While neither girl would ever have an exceptional voice, they could sing on key. With practice and training both could be competent singers.

After several runs of scales I had them sing a simple tune. I then showed them how the effect of the tune changed depending on where they took their breaths. We sang it several times in different ways. Then I taught Kitty to play the same tune. I would teach her to read music soon, but this was a good way to start her playing. To show her how timing worked we the did the same as with the singing. I had her play it at different speeds and with breaks in different places. When it was time for luncheon I felt we were at a good stopping point and would go on to other subjects for the afternoon.

Miss Mary had returned in the carriage. She joined us in the schoolroom for luncheon. After sitting at the table with us, she offered me the option to call her by her given name as I did the other sisters. I gave her permission to use my name as well. Then she complimented Kitty on her good start playing.

"Georgiana helped me learn to play better than I could do on my own. I am glad you are receiving lessons," she said. "And I enjoyed hearing you both sing. You will find it a good talent to have when you are back out in society."

"I want Kitty to learn to play songs we can dance to," said Lydia. "I will miss having you here to do that for us."

"I thought you did not like my playing, Lydia," said Mary with a smile.

"I like the dance songs," she replied, smiling back. "And you are much better now that Georgie has given you lessons."

"I am glad you approve," answered Mary.

"Did Teddy really protect you and Georgie from the colonel's father? I heard Lizzy saying something about it but forgot to ask her more," Kitty said.

"Yes, he did. Lizzy and I were talking with Georgie and Will about Christmas at Longbourn when the Earl of Matlock came in followed by a big, rough man. The earl wanted to take Georgiana away to Lady Catherine's estate. When Will and Georgiana refused to let him the earl ordered his man to drag her off. He came at us both, but Teddy jumped in front of us to fight the man off. Will stopped the man from punching Teddy then the footmen dragged him out, but not before Mrs. Evans told him that bullies were not welcome in the dower house. The earl started saying some nasty things about Will and Lizzy, but the colonel came in and stopped his father. Will told his uncle he was cutting all acquaintance with him and then the colonel took him out and sent him on his way back to London."

"It sounds exciting," said Lydia.

"It was actually pretty scary," said Mary. "I would not have wanted to face that man if Will and the colonel had not been there. Teddy was very brave to protect us."

"Were Teddy's parents tenants at Longbourn?" I asked.

"Yes," answered Mary. "They died during an outbreak of illness a few years ago. He had no other family, so Papa brought him here. Mrs. Hill and the other servants look after him and give him small tasks to do. Will has promised that, if anything happens to Papa, Teddy will always have a place in his household. Lizzy said he even set up a trust fund for Teddy to give him a good start when he is an adult."

"Teddy is lucky to have good friends in his life. I look forward to meeting him some time," I said.

I wondered how the colonel felt at having to defy his father in order to protect his cousins. From what Mildred had told me of Lady Catherine I could understand why Miss Darcy would not want to leave her brother to stay with the woman. She was very lucky she had a brother and cousin to protect her.

The sisters discussed Mary and Elizabeth's upcoming wedding. It was to be a very simple affair as much as Mrs. Bennet might have preferred it be otherwise. Mary was happy to be having a double wedding.

"I am glad Will and Lizzy were willing to let us share their wedding day," she said. I do not really want to have a big fancy wedding and Mama would have insisted on it otherwise. She only agreed to the shorter time and small wedding because Will insisted and Mama was afraid he would change his mind and not marry Lizzy otherwise. She does not seem to realize how besotted he is."

The girls laughed. They had all seen how Mr. Darcy behaved with their sister. Besotted was a very good word for it.

"When did the doctor propose to you Mary?" asked Kitty. "We heard it was announced at the party, but didn't hear anything else."

"He proposed at the party shortly after Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins were thrown out. He had been helping me keep from being noticed by Mama or Mr. Collins. Once I was safe from Mama wanting me to marry Mr. Collins, we went off to the side of the room. Before I even realized what was happening Daniel told me that he wanted to protect me all my life and he asked me to marry him. I was so happy I was almost crying with joy. When I said yes he went over to Papa and asked for his blessing. We ended the evening with the announcement."

"I like him," said Kitty. "He will be a good brother to have. I really enjoyed his story about the colonel scaring the horses in the stable."

"While I wish Georgiana and Lizzy had not been hurt I am very glad he came to look after them. I never thought there would be someone who would want to marry me. You know how Mama has always said I am so plain and bookish no man would ever want me. Daniel does. He loves me for who I am and I love him."

I was a little envious of Mary's good fortune in finding a husband. Mostly, though, I was happy for her. I could not imagine what Mrs. Bennet was thinking calling any of her daughters plain. They were all lovely girls. With a fortune, title or both they would have been called diamonds of the first water by the Ton.

Kitty and Lydia told Mary about the things they were learning. Kitty was very excited about her music lessons. Lydia showed Mary her special slate and explained that she was learning to read properly, but not to tell their mother. Mary seemed to understand why not without any further questions. Both girls described our balance exercise on the stairs.

"I had trouble keeping the book balanced," she told them. "Lizzy and Jane tried to help me, but it just kept dropping off. I had to practice for several days before I could go down the stairs. I am surprised you never saw me."

"I think we just did not pay attention," said Lydia. "I did not really want to be friendly with you and Lizzy and Jane before. Now I do, but you will all be leaving soon."

"We will," said Mary quietly, "but if you learn to behave in a way that does credit to our family then Jane, Lizzy and I will all be happy to have you visit us in our new homes. You have a governess now who can teach you. The three of us wanted to have that opportunity but Papa never saw the need. We were very lucky Aunt Gardiner was willing to teach us how to behave properly."

"I will do my best to help them learn," I told Mary. "If they are willing to do the work, then they will succeed."

"I will," said Kitty. Lydia just nodded. She might not be fully convinced, but was at least willing to work with me. That would be enough for now.


	8. Chapter 8

The weather did turn nasty in the afternoon. The snow fell so thickly it was hard to see anything. We were glad Elizabeth was prepared to spend the night with Miss Darcy and Mildred at the dower house and equally glad to have Mary with us. We all hoped Mr. Darcy had found shelter and was safe.

For some reason the swirls of snow outside the schoolroom window reminded me of the discussions that morning with Elizabeth and Mary about their upcoming weddings. When we came to a good stopping point I had the girls set down the etiquette book. They had been taking turns reading aloud interspersed with explanations of what the advice it gave meant in practice. It had been slow going, both due to Lydia's reading skills and their many questions along with objections on Lydia's part.

"I have been thinking," I told them. "Your sisters are getting married in just one week. Do you have gifts for them?" The looks of shock on their faces answered me better than words could have. The idea had not even crossed their minds.

Finally Kitty said, "They will be marrying rich men and will have anything they want. At least that is what Mama says. And what could we possibly get them? Papa has cut off our spending money."

"Gifts do not always have to be expensive to be of value to the person who receives them. The purpose of a gift, especially to a friend or family member, is to tell the person you care about them. Going to the store and just buying the first thing that catches your eye tells them you do not really care, no matter what that item cost." They looked confused, so I continued.

"Lydia, how did Elizabeth's gift of the slate make you feel?"

"Special," she whispered, not looking me in the eye.

"It was not new," I said. "She did not buy it for you. In fact she has had it for several years. What made it a special gift?"

I could see both girls thinking hard about that. Lydia started to answer very hesitantly, clearly she was still thinking the ideas through as she spoke them.

"It was something I needed...You told her I could not read or write and she did not make fun of me...She gave me something to help me instead...The slate was something she treasured...but she cared enough about me to give it...It is beautiful and helpful and I felt wanted...like I was really her sister." She seemed on the verge of tears, so I let her collect herself and asked Kitty the next question.

"When we talked about your sisters working with Mrs. Gardiner, and later in the talk with Mary, I had the impression that you and Lydia are not very close with the older three. Why is that?"

"I think that is the way Mama divided us up. Jane and Lydia and I are _her_ daughters – the ones that look like her. Lizzy and Mary are Papa's daughters. They look like him and they like books and things that he likes. Only Jane is older than the two of us and she spent time with Aunt Gardiner and learned different manners. She and Lizzy are very close. Lydia and I were lumped together by Mama. Mary wasn't in either group, but she is like Papa and she likes books so she was closer to Lizzy."

"They got to go on visits and they got pretty clothes and other things before we did," Lydia broke in, pout in full evidence on her face. "And they always tried to tell us we were loud and unruly and doing things wrong. So I did not like them and did not want to do anything they said. Papa taught them things and he even listens to things Lizzy says. He either ignores us or laughs at us and calls us the silliest girls in all of England."

"So you decided you did not want to learn anything or be like your older sisters?" I asked.

"I thought I might want to," said Kitty timidly. "But I did not know how to start and I was never much good at anything. It was easier to just do what Lydia wanted to do."

"Being loud in company and flirting with the officers got you attention, did it not?" I asked.

"Yes," said Lydia, "but now everyone tells us that is wrong and we are in trouble."

"Do you know why your older sisters tried to correct your behavior and why your Papa hired me to teach you?"

"They were being mean," said Lydia.

"No," I said calmly, "They were telling you they love you." That surprised them. "If they did not care about you they would have let you just go on as you were doing. Your sisters tried to correct your behavior because they wanted other people to think well of you. They got their trips to town and the clothes and parties earlier because they were older than you. They also behaved better, so your aunt _wanted_ them to visit. Your sisters wanted you to learn so that you could go on trips and have nice things. They do love you. I have only been here a few days, yet I can see it."

"And now they are leaving," said Kitty sadly.

"Your parents love you too, even if they do not always know how to show it. Your father calls you silly because that is how you were behaving. He did not realize that you had not learned the things your older sisters had learned. He may not have understood how much they learned from their visits to the Gardiners, visits you have never taken. He was shocked to learn that one of his daughters had trouble reading. He would have marched right up here to teach you himself, but he realized you would probably not have listened to him. That made him very sad."

"I think he divided us up just like Mama did," said Kitty. "We were her daughters, not his."

"Your father is about to lose the two daughters he relied on for company. I think he would like it if you were willing to learn things that he is comfortable talking about. I understand he likes to play chess with Elizabeth. If you tried the game you might find it fun. If you truly want to play he would probably consider being asked to teach you something of a gift. I do not think he ever truly meant to ignore you. He may not have known how to start paying attention to you in a way you would accept."

"Is chess fun?" asked Kitty.

"Once you learn the moves it is. I used to play it with my father. I enjoyed our games."

"It looks complicated, with all those funny pieces," said Lydia. "Learning it would be work, like learning the pianoforte. I would rather play games you do not have to think about."

"Then chess is probably not for you," I said with a chuckle. "Now about the gift for your sisters. You are right that you cannot go out and buy something. There is little they will truly need that you could buy for them. You _can_ make something to let them know you are thinking of them, even if it is something small. We all need handkerchiefs, so perhaps you could embroider their new initials on some pretty blank ones and perhaps add a small design around it."

"I have a plain white one with some pretty lace edging. I can embroider it for Mary," said Kitty.

"I can do one for Lizzy," said Lydia. "I think I will make the E and D out of vines and put a circle of flowers around them."

"Maybe I can have a design form the outline of the M and B for Mary's instead of just doing the letters.

"Both ideas sound lovely. Go ahead and draw out your designs. You can work on the gifts for the rest of the afternoon." They settled happily into the occupation, giving me time to think about what I had learned.

I debated speaking with Mr. Bennet. He ought to know that his dismissal of the youngest two daughters had far-reaching effects. By giving them more positive attention he could change the way they viewed themselves as well as their behavior. I just did not know how best to bring it up or express the problem. I also had not been around them all enough to truly have the whole picture of the family and their interactions. Naturally the two girls had a biased view based on their perceptions of how people around them reacted. I decided it would be better to wait and learn more before approaching my employer.

I was curious how the older sisters felt about Kitty's idea that they were divided into two camps. I suspected Jane would not admit to any such thing even if she secretly believed it. She did not like to think or speak ill of anyone I had observed. To say her parents had favorites would be too much like criticism.

Elizabeth was clearly her father's favorite, but her mother also seemed pleased with her. Perhaps the engagement had changed the way her mother viewed her. My experience with Mrs. Bennet led me to believe her highest priority in life was to have all her daughters marry as soon as possible. Knowing about the entail on Longbourn I could understand that attitude.

Mary did seem the odd one out. I liked her and hoped to become better acquainted in the next few days. In fact, I liked all five Bennet daughters. I felt myself very fortunate to have gained this place and have the chance to know them.

By dinner time both Kitty and Lydia had acceptable designs for their handkerchiefs and had begun the embroidery. Kitty had succeeded in using a tracery design to fill a corner of the fabric and outline the unfilled letters. Lydia used twists of ivy to form an elegant cursive E and D. She had made good use of the letter writing practice we had done. I assured them both they would get some time each day to finish their gifts.

We were all glad to see that the snow storm had passed by morning. I think if Mrs. Bennet had not been so determined to be at church to hear the banns read she might not have been willing to go to services in all the snow. The drive was not too bad. The coachman kept a very easy pace for the short trip. We found that Mr. Darcy had made it back from London. His cousin must have been at the dower house too, for the colonel had arrived with the Darcys, Mildred and Elizabeth. Dr. Burrows and Mr. Bingley made it safely from Netherfield. We could all be grateful that the Bennet family and family members-to-be were safe.

I enjoyed the service. The vicar spoke well, with a pleasant and calming voice. I always liked the Advent season. Even with winter closing around us it seemed a very hopeful time of year. I was glad Kitty and Lydia behaved well and allowed me to pay attention to the sermon. Mildred had warned me they had a tendency to giggle and gossip during services.

Elizabeth returned to the dower house with the Darcy's to my surprise. I heard her tell Mary that Mr. Darcy had things he needed to discuss with them all, so she planned to stay another night. Apparently something disturbing had happened in London or on his return trip.

Before the Darcy party left Mildred told me she had been glad Elizabeth had come to stay on Saturday. Miss Darcy had been very worried about her brother and it helped to have the company of someone who was equally worried. The colonel had come to check on Miss Darcy and stayed when the snow became to thick to safely return to Netherfield. I thought well of him for looking after his young cousin.

Mr. Bingley and Dr. Burrows returned to Longbourn with us for company and a meal. I enjoyed seeing the doctor and Mary together. It was apparent he cared for her very much and she reciprocated. While there was some love struck staring involved, he and Mary seemed to converse more than Mr. Bingley and Jane, who barely said a word being too busy looking into one another's eyes.

That afternoon the doctor told us that the colonel had been spending part of his time at the militia camp. The colonel in charge of the unit was a friend of his and Colonel Fitzwilliam was giving him a hand by helping train the officers. I had heard that men who joined the militia often did so because they wanted the prestige that came with the uniform without the danger of having to go into battle. I wondered how they viewed being trained by a man like Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was in the regulars and had been in battles on the Continent. I also wondered how the colonel viewed them. Did he teach them as he would his own unit? Or did he look on them with condescension and contempt and only teach the basics? Perhaps some time I would have the opportunity to ask him.

After the meal Lydia quietly asked me to come up with some reason we needed to return to the schoolroom. She wanted to continue work on the handkerchief, but did not want any of the other family members to know. It was Sunday, so simply claiming lessons would not really go over well. Finally I decided on something near the truth. I stood and took my leave of the company, ushering my two charges ahead of me.

"We are working on a project that we would like to complete before the wedding. I hope you will excuse us." I curtsied and we left before anyone could say a word.

"Was that all it took?" Lydia asked me.

"In this circumstance, at least. But one must do such things with an air of command, you understand," I said teasingly.

The three of us quietly laughed all the way up the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9

Elizabeth and Miss Darcy, along with Mildred, arrived at Longbourn just as my charges and I were heading upstairs after breakfast. Elizabeth waved Miss Darcy in our direction as she turned down the hall, presumably to find her father.

"I hope you do not mind if we join you for a little while?" Mildred asked me.

"Not at all. Kitty and Lydia could use the company," I said.

"Lizzy told me about the wooden books your father wanted you to use when you dropped the books you were balancing on the stairs. Do you have them now?"

"Yes," said Lydia, "but they are not quite wooden books. Come and see." She hurried up with the other two girls following.

"What are they?" Mildred queried as she and I ascended more slowly.

"When John, the footman assigned to the task, asked me what size blocks I wanted I decided to make his job a little easier. I told him they didn't have to actually look like books. I suggested he use a dried log, a little smaller in diameter than a dinner plate. I had him saw it into slices of varying widths of between an inch and two inches. After he removed the bark, I asked him to sand each slice well so that we would not get splinters in our hair. It was easily enough done and now we have our extra-fashionable wooden headgear." We chuckled together over the idea.

We entered the schoolroom to find Lydia already walking with what she called her "wooden bonnet" on her head. Kitty was gently placing another wooden slice atop Miss Darcy's hair, clearly being careful not to hurt the injured girl's shoulder or arm. I looked inquiringly at Mildred, still a bit worried, but she nodded her approval. All three girls practiced gliding around the room.

Although it was clear Miss Darcy was a bit off balance due to the injuries, she had no trouble keeping the wood slice balanced as she walked. It did fall off as she tried to sit, but that was caused by suddenly turning her head to look as Elizabeth opened the door and entered.

"They do not exactly look like books," she said in approval, "but I think that is a clever solution. I will have to try one later. For now, though, I need to speak with you all. Mama is remaining in her room this morning, so we can use the drawing room. Jane and Mary are already there. Would you all please join us?"

Kitty put away the wood slices and we all headed down to the drawing room. We found Mr. Bennet waiting there along with Jane and Mary. Even Lydia realized the discussion was likely to be serious. She seated herself quietly as the rest of also found places, although Elizabeth remained standing.

"Well, Lizzy," said Mr. Bennet with a quirk of his eyebrow. "We are all gathered now. You have the floor."

"Thank you, Papa," she said with a quick curtsey. She moved to a spot where we could all see and easily hear her.

"Are you all aware of the confrontation we had a few days ago with the Earl of Matlock when he tried to remove Georgiana from Will's care?" Everyone nodded.

"The burly servant the earl brought with him is a man that Richard, the colonel, recognized. Richard's older brother, Viscount Milton, likes to gamble and often goes to dangerous places in London to do so. That man serves as his bodyguard when he does."

"Some bodyguard," snorted Lydia, "if Teddy can stand up to him and Mrs. Evans can tell him off." A chuckle went around the room in response, with Mr. Bennet being loudest of all.

"No villain stands a chance against our Teddy," said Elizabeth with a smile which dropped away as she continued, "You also know that Will had to go to London Friday to deal with a business issue?" We all nodded again.

"Will had a pleasant visit with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner that evening. He joined them for dinner and then discussed his business with Uncle that evening. Will had reason to suspect a man he had partnered with on an investment was cheating him. He felt Uncle Gardiner, with his extensive business experience, could give him a clearer perspective on the situation. Based on their discussion, Will decided to end the partnership with Mr. Hampton, even though that meant he had to pay a forfeit to do so." She noticed Lydia fidgeting and added, "I know this isn't very interesting to you, Lydia, but you need to know so you will understand what follows." Lydia nodded and stopped squirming.

"Saturday morning Will met with Mr. Hampton. He told him he was concerned at the losses they had suffered and decided to end their partnership. Even with the forfeit fee, Mr. Hampton did not want to cooperate, but Will insisted. He paid the fee and had his former partner sign documents releasing Will from any further association with their venture. As he was leaving, Will was surprised to see his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, going into Mr. Hampton's office. They did not speak to each other."

"My uncle is very set against tradesmen," Miss Darcy cut in. "That is why my brother was so surprised." All of us nodded in understanding.

"Will went back to Darcy house to change clothes and get his belongings together before he headed back to the dower house. He was caught in the snowstorm on the way back, but made it safely to the inn at Redbriar village." She looked at Lydia and added, "Now we get to the important bit." Lydia smiled at her.

"Will tells me that one side of the dining room is set up with booths to give the diners privacy. By chance Will was sitting in a spot where you cannot really make out what people in the booth behind him were saying if they speak normally, but a whisper carries clearly. He did not intend to eavesdrop, but he caught the sound of his own name and discovered the two men in the other booth were plotting to kill him and carry Georgie off."

Both Jane, Mary and Kitty gasped at this information, but Lydia and Mr. Bennet leaned in with interest. I was rather interested myself. Elizabeth continued after a short pause.

"Fortunately Will was able to call the innkeeper quietly over to hear some of the conversation. He and the innkeeper got up without being seen and called for the constable. They detained the two men and took them off to a secure store room to question them. One of the two was the viscount's bodyguard. Will had heard enough to know that they were being paid by the earl and that the money had come from Mr. Hampton that very day."

"They were being paid Will's money to kill him?" Mary asked in shocked surprise. "And the earl ordered it?"

"My uncle wanted to marry me off to one of the men my cousin lost money to at cards," said Miss Darcy sadly. "He knew Will would not allow it. He also probably thought he could get money from Pemberley if he had control of me." She started to sob. Kitty, who was sitting next to her on the sofa, put an arm around her and gave her a gentle hug. Jane gave her a handkerchief to dry her eyes on.

"Is there any danger now?" asked Mr. Bennet.

"Will and Richard have gone to Redbriar this morning to speak with the magistrate. The two men are still being held and with the snowstorm it is unlikely the earl knows yet that his plan has failed."

Mr. Bennet nodded thoughtfully. "Mr. Baxter is magistrate there. He is an older man who will probably advise not pressing charges against the earl unless they have better evidence than just the word of the two servants. Of course, the earl would have to be tried in the House of Lords if any charges were brought against him. It is unlikely he would receive any kind of sanctions unless he was found by another peer standing over Darcy's dead body with a bloody knife in his hand, perhaps not even then." He shook his head.

"He cannot just get away with it, can he?" asked Lydia indignantly. "After all, Mr. Wickham was killed just for trying to kidnap Georgie."

"He probably can," said Mr. Bennet sadly. "Our justice system is not always very fair, especially when a peer is involved. I am glad to see you begin to understand Mr. Wickham's guilt," he said a little more severely. "He was punished for many things in addition to the attack on your sister and Miss Darcy. The military can provide swifter judgment and punishment than the civilian courts can for serious offenses. Any case regarding a peer has to be handled in the House of Lords with all the resulting posturing, bribes and favoritism. It can take a very long time for an issue to be settled and justice is rarely properly served."

"That is not fair," Lydia responded.

"No, it is not," said her father quietly. He turned to Elizabeth. "Does your young man have a plan for dealing with his uncle?"

"It will depend in part on what the magistrate has to say, but Will and Richard expect the same kind of response that you do. At the least they are hoping to have the two servants detained for a while to give them time to put a plan into action. Will's godfather is the Duke of Montrose. Where the earl might not listen to either his son or his nephew warning him off, we expect he will listen to the duke. When he returns from Redbriar, Will plans to send an express to his godfather asking him to ensure that the earl understands his plot is known and that he would gain nothing from any actions taken against Will, Georgie, Richard or any of us."

"The Duke of Montrose is very influential. His censure would carry a great deal of weight," said Mr. Bennet thoughtfully. "Does Darcy think he will respond well to the request?"

"He does," answered Elizabeth. "Apparently the duke has never been terribly friendly towards the Earl of Matlock."

"Very few people are," Georgiana put in with something between a hiccup and a laugh.

"What is there for us to do?" asked Mr. Bennet.

"Nothing for now except to be aware of what has happened. I wanted you all to know so you can be careful." She looked around the room at each of us. "If you see anything suspicious or something just does not feel right then say something. Tell Papa, tell Will or Dr. Burrows or the colonel. Call in Teddy to protect you if need be." We all laughed.

"That young man will end up a royal bodyguard before he is through," said Mr. Bennet, still chuckling.

Mr. Bingley and Dr. Burrows were announced just then. As they came in Elizabeth indicated that our group meeting was finished. "Jane, Mary and I will update them," she said.

Before we left the room Kitty stopped her father, who had risen to return to his study. "Papa, I was wondering if you would be willing to teach me how to play chess."

Mr. Bennet looked at her in shock. Off to the side I could see Elizabeth, who had heard the request, raise an eyebrow in surprise. After a moment of silence Mr. Bennet answered, "Of course, child, if you truly wish to learn."

"I want to at least try, Papa," she told him. "Miss York says she used to play with her father and it is a fun game. I know you will not be able to play with Lizzy as often after she is married, so maybe you will have the time to play with me."

"I would like that," he said. "Miss York, can you spare her for a first lesson now? Mr. Tanner and Mr. Barnes left this morning and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate having my study back than to teach my daughter the names and moves of all those little wooden figures." He smiled and winked, but his eyes looked suspiciously misty. I could tell the request had touched him.

"Of course, sir." I said. He nodded and gestured for Kitty to go ahead of him to the study. Elizabeth looked at me and nodded approvingly. I had the feeling we would chat about the request later.

Mildred, Miss Darcy, Lydia and I all returned to the schoolroom.


	10. Chapter 10

Mildred and I agreed to let the three girls practice more with the wooden slices. Miss Darcy wanted to try the stairs and we saw no harm in that. Kitty, Lydia and Miss Darcy took turns going up and down the stairs. They decided that if the slice fell off then the turn was over for that time. Mildred and I were amused by how much fun they were having with the exercise.

Mrs. Bennet came out of her room and looked at Lydia, who was climbing the stairs. "That is not a book," she said.

"No, Mama. Papa asked us not to use books anymore, so we have these pieces of wood instead."

Mrs. Bennet looked at me. "Will they still work?" she asked.

I assured her they would and asked if there was anything we could do to help her as she seemed distracted.

"Well, yes, I am," she answered. "We are having the party on Saturday night and there is so much that needs to be finished."

"I thought all you needed to do was tell Mrs. Hill to prepare everything," said Kitty.

"Oh, heavens! No, child, there is much more to it than that. Mrs. Hill does a great deal, but she cannot do everything. It is my party and I must do my part."

"Mrs. Bennet, would you be willing to show the girls what it is you do to prepare for a party? That is an important part of being a good wife and good hostess. It would be very helpful to them." I hoped she would agree.

Mrs. Bennet brightened at the request. "Well, I suppose they do need to learn. I had not really thought about that." She smiled at the three young ladies, who were all looking at her expectantly. "Yes, I do think that is just the kind of lesson you need. You can learn what to do and I can give you small tasks to help."

"Will you need Mrs. Annesley and me? Or would we be in the way?" I asked her.

"It may be a little crowded if you join us as well. You two have a nice sit-down or something. I will teach these girls today." She was so pleased at having an interested audience that she was practically puffing herself up like a fussy hen shaking and preening its feathers.

"I will take your wood slices back up to the schoolroom," I told them. "Please listen to Mrs. Bennet and help her as much as you can."

Miss Darcy was just as curious, but she did check with Mildred before joining the other two. On receiving an approving nod, she handed me her slice of wood and followed the others towards the kitchen.

"What prompted you to suggest that?" asked Mildred as we returned to the schoolroom. "It is a good idea, but I am curious."

"I have noticed that Kitty and Lydia have had very few responsibilities or experience with any of the tasks involved in a running a house. That is a vital part of a woman's education. I think Mrs. Bennet is just so used to doing the things required to run a house that she never realized her daughters needed to be taught. The older girls most likely learned from Mrs. Gardiner. I suspect that, just like Lydia learning to read, everyone just assumed the younger girls would learn, but no one actually taught them."

"It would seem so," said Mildred. "I believe I have been somewhat remiss about such things with Miss Darcy as well. Her surprise that Mrs. Bennet does anything more than tell the housekeeper to prepare tells me she has not been trained in that aspect of running a house either. Mrs. Reynolds, Pemberley's housekeeper has taken care of nearly everything since Mrs. Darcy passed shortly after Miss Darcy's birth. I believe I simply assumed she had been taught and did not think to ask."

"We are lucky we have an experienced hostess to teach our young ladies. I also believe the attention will do Mrs. Bennet good."

We talked a little bit about the Darcys and their background. I knew they were orphans and that Mr. Darcy was master of the estate, but I had not realized how long they had been without their mother. I was surprised to learn that Mildred had only become Miss Darcy's companion a few months previous. She told me there had been problems with the previous companion and Mr. Darcy had to replace her.

"I am very happy to be working for the Darcys," she told me. "He is a kind and fair employer and, of course, she is a very sweet girl. She was very shy when I met her. Coming to this neighborhood and spending time with the Bennets has made a big difference to her. She had trouble even saying hello to Miss Elizabeth and Miss Charlotte Lucas the day they met. Now she is on friendly terms with all the young ladies of her age in the neighborhood and has no trouble talking and laughing with them."

"She will miss them when she returns to Pemberley," I said thoughtfully. I remembered how I missed the friends I had made at school. "At least she will have Elizabeth as a sister and they will probably visit here from time to time."

"She will want to correspond with the other girls as well. Miss Mary is her particular friend. I suspect they will write regularly after the wedding. I understand the doctor wants to return to his home in London after they are married, but has accepted an invitation to visit for Christmas day and the following week so that Mary can be here with the rest of the family. The doctor has an older brother and a married sister. His parents are still living as well, but they decided not to attend the wedding. They are in Northumberland, near the coast if I remember correctly. I understand they suggested the doctor bring his new wife to meet them in the late spring when traveling is easier."

"You had the chance to become better acquainted with the doctor while he was still staying at the dower house. Do you think he will be a good match for Mary?"

"That match was made the moment they met. He saw how fiercely protective Miss Mary was over Miss Darcy as well as her beauty and he was lost to her." Mildred smiled. "He is a good man. It may seem odd that he has been able to be away from his practice so long, but he says he has only a few established patients at the moment. Mr. Darcy was his first patron, so he was happy to arrange things so he could attend Miss Darcy as long as needed. He has a few other wealthy patients and then he does some work for a charity in London. I expect he will make up for the lost time after Christmas, but I do not believe he will neglect his new wife."

"What kind of man is the colonel? Have you seen much of him?" I asked as casually as I could.

"You have seen for yourself that he can be a bit loud and boisterous. He makes jokes and teases his cousins, but he also has a serious side. I have seen it when he was dealing with Mr. Wickham and I saw it again yesterday when he was confronted with his father's actions. His family disgusts and annoys him by their poor behavior. He is willing to cut himself off from them if that is necessary to protect his cousins. I understand the Darcys, including Mr. Darcy's parents, have always been more of a family to him than his father and brother." She considered for a moment and I waited.

"Colonel Fitzwilliam understands responsibility. War and death have been his companions and men lived or died following his orders. Mr. Darcy trusts him, reveres him and worries for him. This is the first time in a few years that the colonel has taken leave and spent time relaxing. Of course he has been spending part of that time training the militia officers," she laughed. "There is something verey boyish about him, but when trouble comes that changes in an instant. I would not wish to be on the receiving end of his anger." She stopped again, then asked, "You are attracted to him, are you not?"

"I barely know him," I said. "We have exchanged perhaps a dozen words. I am drawn to him, but I know it is hopeless. I am a governess who has no dowry and no family. He is a soldier with a family that is apparently deeply in debt."

"You never know what might happen," Mildred said softly. "Sometimes the whole world seems to change in an instant. If it is meant to be, then a way will come."

We sat in companionable silence for a time until a knock rang out on the door. Hannah opened it and then brought in a tea tray.

"Miss Darcy suggested you might want this. She said to tell you that she and Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia are learning how to put together menus for a dinner party and they are all listening to Mrs. Bennet and behaving well."

"Thank you, Hannah," I said. "Did _you_ think they were behaving well?"

She smiled. "I have never seen Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia that well-behaved before. Mrs. Bennet has their full attention and is loving every moment of it. Do enjoy your tea," she said and left.

"It sounds like the experiment is a success," Mildred said while reaching to pour for us. "I knew those girls had promise, but I wondered if you or I could reach them and help them be what they ought."

"They will be." I said with confidence.

We drank our tea and chatted about Mildred's experiences as a young wife. Her husband had been a gentleman of a little less consequence than the Mr. Bennet, while her parents had been of a little higher social status. She and Mr. Annesley had no children and their small estate passed to a male relative. Her marriage settlement had included a reasonable fund to sustain her as a widow, but she felt it was wise to take employment. She had married young, but her mother had educated her well in running a household and in the accomplishments and social graces appropriate to her status. As a companion that early training was invaluable.

I asked if she still kept in touch with any of the friends she had made during her marriage.

"Not really," she said. "As I think you have found, there is always so much to do that one forgets to write and suddenly months have passed without a word. At that point it seems odd to try and write again and the acquaintance drops off completely. There is no slight intended on either side. We just move on."

"I still have three correspondents from school," I told her, "but all the others dropped away as you say. There was also the lack of common subjects to speak about. They have gone off and married while I am working for my keep. My sister is the only one I am very careful to write regularly."

"How old is she now? Miss Lydia's age?"

"She is fourteen, a year younger than Lydia. I wish Grace could meet the Bennet sisters. They would be good for her. She has made a few friends at the boarding school, but she could do with more."

"Perhaps they will meet some time."

We finished our tea and I decided to take the tray down myself. I wanted to check on the lessons and the behavior of my charges. Mildred followed me, although she was certain her charge was behaving well.

We found Lydia inspecting the table linens to ensure they were clean and in good repair. Nearby Kitty and Miss Darcy were working from a list and comparing it with the type and quantity of dishes and silver.

"We need to make sure we have enough of the right items to match the menu," Kitty explained. Mrs. Bennet had been supervising the work and smiled at Kitty's statement.

"Do you have a good menu prepared?" I asked.

"I believe so," said Mrs. Bennet. "We have a nice variety of main dishes and I am serving a large selection of sweets because we are so close to Christmas. Mr. Darcy requested I serve my mince pie. I am not sure how he heard of it, but my family's mince recipe is very popular with our guests. I know he will enjoy it."

Miss Darcy was trying to stifle a giggle, although I did not know why. Mildred seemed equally confused as to why she found her brother's pie request funny. Fortunately Mrs. Bennet did not notice.

"I went over how to make menu choices with the girls," she continued. "We talked about the importance of seating arrangements, although I leave mine open to the guests because we all know each other here. And now we are looking at making sure we have everything we need in advance so the meal can proceed smoothly."

"It sounds like you have your planning well in hand. I am sure the young ladies have learned a great deal today." I told her. I was impressed by what she had covered. I enjoyed seeing how pleased Mrs. Bennet still was at having the chance to pass on her knowledge.

"Yes, we have done quite a bit," she told us. "I expect they will finish their current tasks soon if you need to take them away."

"Mrs. Annesley and I both think they are learning valuable lessons from you. If you still have planning to complete today and want them to work with you then we cannot think of anything more important for them at this moment."

Mrs. Bennet nodded happily. "I did want to go over how we will arrange the furniture the night of the party. It is important for your guests to be able to move freely while still having enough seating for everyone to be comfortable. I think we will do that right after luncheon."

"Did you require our assistance for anything?"

"No, we are doing well. Perhaps you could check on Jane and Mary? We want to be sure they are properly chaperoned."

"Of course, Mrs. Bennet," Mildred said.

We found both the engaged couples in the drawing room. Each couple was a little too involved in their private conversations to truly be chaperoning the other, but there was no real harm in the situation. Mildred and I went to the work basket Mrs. Bennet kept in a corner of the room. We each pulled out an item that needed mending along with needles and thread. Finding comfortable seats, we set about mending while allowing the couples to continue as they were.


	11. Chapter 11

The girls did proceed with their lesson after luncheon. I listened in while Mildred returned to chaperone duties. Although it was clear Mrs. Bennet already had a plan, since she had done this several times before, she told the girls it was good to take a fresh look at the furniture arrangements before each large party.

"I do dislike a crush," she told them. "If you have too much furniture cluttering the room or it is set up so people cannot move freely then they bump into things. Your wine glasses or ornaments on the occasional tables will be broken and people feel uncomfortable when they are crowded. You still need the chairs and tables because some people will want to sit and they must have places to set down their glasses or their plates, if you have a buffet. Think about how many people will be in the room. If it is only a few then you arrange things differently because too much space will make the smaller group too widely dispersed."

She walked through each of the public rooms and showed the girls what she meant. Lydia did not say anything, but I could see her surprise when her mother took out a piece of paper and pencil and made a sketch and some notes of how she wanted the bigger pieces of furniture moved by the footmen the day before the party. All the girls were intrigued by the way Mrs. Bennet considered the positions of the doors and how people would probably gather. In one instance she showed demonstrated for them a certain chair and table in their usual places would cause a sort of eddy in that room as people moved from group to group.

"I like them there when it is just the family," she said of the arrangement. "This chair is comfortable and makes a nice small space here for talking, but it will simply not do when there are more people needing to move around."

After they had taken their look at all the public rooms Mrs. Bennet went off to chaperone in the drawing room. She appeared very pleased with the day's work. In turn, Mildred joined us as we returned to the schoolroom. Remembering Mrs. Bennet's comment that she preferred unassigned seating I thought it would be good to go over how formal seating worked for parties in the Ton. Mildred and I worked together to create some sample guest lists and then had the girls work as a team to assign seating based on both rank and imagined (or generally well known) personalities. It was an exercise I had enjoyed at school. The girls appeared to enjoy it as well, especially some of the trickier combinations we put together.

Mr. Darcy had arrived sometime in the early afternoon. Elizabeth came up to the schoolroom to get Miss Darcy and Mildred to let them know he wanted to return to the dower house before dark. With the snow and continuing cold weather even the short trip could be dangerous. Elizabeth told us that Mr. Darcy and the colonel had not learned much more about the murder plot. The magistrate had agreed to hold the men for a few days and Mr. Darcy had written to his godfather for assistance with the earl.

With the wedding only a week away, both Elizabeth and Mary decided to stay at Longbourn with their family. They wanted to go through their belongings, pack what they would take with them to their new homes and pass on what they would not. Kitty and Lydia were excited to receive some of the dresses that were still in very good shape but more suited to unmarried girls than married women. The two youngest girls were taller than Elizabeth and Mary, but a lace edging or a ruffle of contrasting fabric along with additional trim in the same fabric could easily solve that problem.

Lydia did scoff at how little lace either of her older sisters had on their gowns. I had heard similar comments from Mrs. Bennet when she talked over the new gowns the older girls had ordered in Meryton for their wedding. I understood it to be a regular complaint.

"Your sisters have a very good sense of what decoration looks best on them," I told Lydia. "You are taller and can carry off the extra frills and flounces. What looks good on you would overwhelm them and simply make them look overdressed. Simple, clean lines with delicate decorations suit Elizabeth and Mary better, as well as being more to their taste. Not everyone is the same, you know."

She thought that over and reluctantly agreed. "I like lace on everything," she said with a laugh.

"Well now you and Kitty can decorate these gowns. They are of good quality fabric. You will want to be careful not to overdo or ruin them."

"When Uncle Gardiner gets shipments of fine fabrics he lets Aunt Gardiner look at them before he sells them. She will sometimes pick out a few bolts for each of us and then we have the dressmaker in Meryton make them up into dresses," Kitty told me. "Aunt Gardiner always seems to pick the colors that look best on each of us."

After giving them a little time to look over their new acquisitions I had them put the gowns away to be done over later. They needed to concentrate on their gifts for their sisters. Lydia finished the handkerchief for Elizabeth and started designing one for Mary. Kitty was taking a little longer with her first one but would be done soon. She asked me to help her alter the other design she had done with the cat and flowers to include Elizabeth's initials in the picture. It was a pretty design and that would allow her time to finish both.

We spent further time on reading and writing practice as well as continuing the discussion of the behavior expected of them at the party. Neither had been allowed to attend the last party Mrs. Bennet gave. They had improved enough that Mr. Bennet and I had decided to give them the chance of this last gathering before the wedding. I warned them very firmly that I would have no qualms about removing them from the party if I felt they were misbehaving. I had their father's support if the need arose.

Kitty had told me she enjoyed her chess lesson with her father even if it was a bit confusing since all the pieces moved differently. She went down for another lesson shortly after luncheon. I wondered if Mr. Bennet would turn out to be a patient teacher. Only time would tell.

Lydia looked a bit jealous as her sister left, but then clearly remembered how much work it would be to learn chess. She turned back to her slate and we continued with writing and spelling simple words. She was making good progress and was starting to see the connections between the sounds and the spelling. When I gave her words we had not studied previously she was usually able to spell them correctly. Until she was more comfortable I would avoid the words with tricky spellings. I enjoyed seeing her confidence grow with each success and saw no point in frustrating her yet.

Miss Darcy and Mildred joined us again on Wednesday. Mr. Darcy disappeared into Mr. Bennet's study along with Elizabeth. I suspected they would spend the day in conversation and chess.

Mrs. Bennet's party plans were well in place, but she was starting to fuss and worry. I suggested she do a run-through with the girls to verify that everything that needed to be planned for had been done. It was a good review for all concerned. Mrs. Bennet was soon able to return to the drawing room with the assurance that all was in readiness.

Miss Darcy spent some time with Kitty at the pianoforte, listening while Kitty did her scales and offering suggestions to help the practice go more smoothly. They even played a few simple duets. Miss Darcy had just the right hand to work with because of the injury, but that was sufficient to match Kitty's skill level. Both enjoyed the practice.

Thursday went much the same, although we did spend more time on party etiquette that morning. Lady Lucas had visited on Wednesday and invited the Bennets, Darcys and the Netherfield party to a small dinner party for Thursday evening. Because it was such a small gathering Mildred and I would not attend, but I warned Kitty and Lydia that Mr. Bennet and their older sisters would be keeping an eye on them. If they became too loud or misbehaved in other ways they might lose the privilege of joining the party on Saturday. Both assured me they understood what was expected of them and would behave properly. I took that as the best sign yet of the progress they were making.


	12. Chapter 12

Mr. Bennet asked me to join him in his study early Friday morning. I followed him there from the breakfast room hoping he did not have bad news. His look was serious and I feared what Kitty or, more likely, Lydia might have done at the dinner party.

He sat at his desk and I took the seat across from him. He looked at me over his steepled hands.

"I am very disappointed, Miss York," he quietly said. "As you know, I was observing my youngest daughters closely during our dinner last night to determine if their behavior was acceptable. I have come to an inescapable conclusion." He paused and I saw the twinkle in his eye as he took in my discomfort. He was toying with me, I realized and relaxed a bit. Judging by the slight smile he could not quite hide, he noticed that I had caught on to him.

"My conclusion is that I should have hired you, or someone like you, years ago. I am disappointed in myself for not providing my younger daughters with the education and guidance the older girls received from their Aunt Gardiner."

"Kitty and Lydia behaved well last evening?" I asked, although I already suspected the answer would be positive.

"Well indeed. I did not recognize them for my own daughters," he answered. "You also seem to have worked some kind of magic on my wife. She seems calmer than usual, with calm being a relative term in this case, and I heard some mention of lessons she has been giving."

His last statement was clearly a question, so I took the opening to explain.

"Mrs.. Bennet has been giving Kitty, Lydia and Miss Darcy lessons on how to plan for a party or other gathering. The girls have found it a very enlightening experience."

"Surely all she does to plan is tell Mrs. Hill and then flutter around waving her handkerchief and worrying," he said in mingled amusement and confusion.

"You do your wife a disservice, sir. Of course, your daughters thought much the same, which is why I suggested the lessons." He looked surprised, so I continued.

"Mrs. Bennet plans the menu with an eye to both variety and economy. She takes into account the tastes of her guests and what dishes will complement each other. She verifies that all the place settings required to accommodate the number of guests and type of dishes is available and in good repair. She also plans how to arrange the rooms to provide the guests room to move freely while still being welcoming. Mrs. Hill and the other servants play a major part, which your wife acknowledges, but she puts a great deal of effort into making sure everything goes smoothly." I smiled at him and added, "And she _is_ very accomplished at fluttering her handkerchief and worrying."

He chuckled a little at the last comment, but still looked serious. "I suppose I _have_ done her a disservice," he mused. "I have always known that she has a reputation as a very good hostess, but I gave all the credit to Mrs. Hill and none to Mrs. Bennet." He closed his eyes for a moment in thought, followed by a heavy sigh before he opened them again. "As I said, I am disappointed in myself. I have many excuses, but none truly excuse my neglect." He sighed again.

"I did want to discuss with you how my daughters are progressing. I know it is early, but their behavior last night gives me great hope. While they spoke with Maria Lucas and Miss Darcy they kept their voice low and without unseemly bursts of loud laughter. Their manners at table were acceptable, if not perfect. I heard nothing improper or wild in their dinner conversation. In fact, I have not been to such a pleasant gathering with my family since those two first came out in society."

"It sounds as if they earned the opportunity to attend tomorrow's party." I said.

"Yes. I agree." He paused, then chuckled a bit. "I would like to know what prompted Kitty to ask for lessons in chess. She told me you said it was a fun game, but there must be something more to it than that."

"I think she knows you will be lonely when Elizabeth is married. She would like to have your attention and provide you with some company. She has also been willing to learn some new things now that she does not feel required to follow Lydia in everything just to get any attention."

"I never understood why she followed Lydia in the first place. Kitty may play well once she gets a feel for the game. You suggested the lessons, did you not?"

"I did, although it was part of a larger conversation about the way your daughters feel divided up between the two that are _your_ daughters and the three that are Mrs. Bennet's daughters. I felt Kitty wanted to bridge that divide since you are losing the regular company of Elizabeth and Mary. She said she is enjoying the lessons."

"I had not realized. They are right, of course, about the division. It was not intentional, but that is how things have worked out. Did Lydia express any interest in bridging the divide?"

"She might want to, but learning to play chess seemed like too much work to her. Perhaps once she can read well you will find some common grounds for discussion. She is improving greatly. With encouragement she may become quite the reader eventually."

"I will hope. Well, I suppose you should go see to them. The schoolroom will need to be set up for the Gardiner children to stay in. Perhaps the back parlor can do temporary duty as a schoolroom starting tomorrow."

"I will have them get the room ready for their cousins. We will try not to make too much of a mess in the back parlor over the next few weeks."

Mr. Bennet smiled and waved me off. I headed upstairs to wake my charges and plan for a day of rearranging a room.

The schoolroom could easily be turned back into a nursery just by moving the table to the side, taking their learning supplies down to the parlor and moving the beds. That would be the easy way, but I hated to lose a good learning opportunity. I challenged the girls, including Miss Darcy who had arrived with her brother just as my charges were finishing breakfast, to use what they had learned from Mrs. Bennet about the way people move around a room. I wanted them to look at the size of the room, think about what activities the three young Gardiner's might do there and come up with a plan to arrange the furniture to be both inviting and safe.

Lydia got our her slate and the three of them worked around a little floor plan she drew up. I was impressed with the thought they put into the result when they considered that the two boys would probably be more active and the youngest cousin might need a quiet space. They arranged the beds to enclose a larger area for the boys to play in while leaving a smaller spot for the youngest that was not isolated but would still give her a corner to herself. The furniture in the room was light enough that Kitty and Lydia moved it themselves without calling for the footmen after I approved the plan.

Once the furniture was in place they decided to decorate the room to make it welcoming. Mildred and I left them to it. They found some old toys which they cleaned up and refurbished. Kitty found some old cushions to put in her cousin Bethany's corner for sitting on or leaning against. She added some greenery and ribbons hung from hooks already set in the wall near the ceiling to give a holiday feel. The room did look very inviting when the girls had finished. We celebrated with afternoon tea in the back parlor before working on their studies.

During tea Miss Darcy told us that her brother had heard from the Duke of Montrose the day before. The duke assured them Darcy's uncle would no longer be a threat. I wondered what effect the duke's censure might have on the colonel, but did not ask. I hoped I would find out eventually.

Saturday promised to be a somewhat chaotic between the arrival of the Gardiners and the party that evening. I insisted Kitty and Lydia spend some quiet time after breakfast to finish the gifts for their sisters. Sitting in the back parlor kept them out of the way while Mrs. Bennet did her fluttering and worrying as the servants finished setting everything up for that evening's entertainment. Both girls had to hide their work quickly when their three older sisters came in to join us and get away from the fuss.

"The nursery looks very pleasant," Jane complimented them. "I went to see if anything more was needed, but you seem to have thought of everything."

"I like how you arranged the beds to make play spaces," added Elizabeth. "I am sure Bethany will appreciate a space of her own."

"We used Mama's ideas about arranging furniture to make people comfortable," Lydia told them. "It was fun."

" _Mama_ taught you that?" asked Elizabeth in surprise.

"She did," said Kitty, a little defensively. "It was part of our lessons on how to prepare for a successful party. Miss York asked us to put what we had learned to use when we arranged the nursery."

It was clear Elizabeth did not know what to say. Mary seemed to be in a similar state of surprise. Mr. Bennet's daughters must have also considered their mother's role to be just fluttering and worry.

"I think you did a lovely job," said Jane with her usual serene smile.

I suggested the older girls might get their work baskets and join us until the Gardiners arrived. Their brief exit from the room allowed Kitty and Lydia to hide the handkerchiefs and pull out different projects in their places. Lydia was making ribbon roses to decorate a bonnet and I had suggested Kitty start a sampler to better learn her stitches. I had taken up a few items from the mending pile again. Once the older girls returned we had a pleasant time working and talking.

The snow had cleared over the past few days, so travel was easier and less dangerous. The Gardiner family made good time and arrived before luncheon. Staying out of the way seemed my best course of action as the two families greeted one another happily. As I sat in the back parlor with my chosen bit of mending I was happy to hear Kitty and Lydia containing their excitement so as not to be too loud or wild. They truly were good girls. They had just needed some guidance and attention to get over the worst of their behavior problems. It would take time to truly polish their manners and educate them, but I felt the battle was halfway won already. They recognized the need to change and were willing, even if Lydia did not want to do too much thinking. Her application to learning reading and writing showed she could work hard if she wanted to.

The house quieted a bit once everyone had settled down. I moved to join my charges in the drawing room when the ladies all settled there. I could continue mending while they talked until it was time to go up and prepare for the party.


	13. Chapter 13

As they had planned, the Darcys arrived early enough for Miss Darcy to spend time with the Bennet sisters while they finished arranging their clothes and hair. Mr. Darcy wanted the time for a quiet chat with Mr. Gardiner before the guests arrived. He joined Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner in the study almost immediately.

The gentlemen from Netherfield arrived as the young ladies were coming down the stairs in all their finery. I planned to stay close enough to intervene if Kitty and Lydia forgot their newly-acquired manners, while keeping enough distance they could still have fun with their friends. That meant I was a little behind them as they made their entrance. My position was a perfect one to get a good look at the colonel without being immediately obvious.

He wore his uniform well. The red coat and gold braid gave him a jaunty air. I now understood why so many women found the look of a uniform on a handsome man so appealing. He seemed extra polished this evening. I hoped there would be no sneak attacks by broom handles or arguments with feed bags to vex him tonight.

The colonel must have felt my stare, for he suddenly looked straight at me and smiled. I liked his smile. It gave me a warm, bubbly feeling inside. Then Mr. Bingley stepped up and said something to him and the moment was broken. I turned to seek out my charges and begin my vigil.

I was glad to see the girls had taken the threat of instant removal for poor behavior seriously. Their behavior this evening was, for them, exemplary. I enjoyed seeing the wondering looks of the neighbors as Kitty and Lydia spoke quietly with their friends and did nothing that might disrupt the enjoyment of the other guests.

The girls shared surprised looks as they saw the guests moving around the room in exactly the patterns Mrs. Bennet had predicted, much to my amusement. To see the events play out drove the lessons she had given home.

It was almost time to go in to dinner when a young boy rushed in from the dining room calling for Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet. "It is Teddy!" I heard Lydia exclaim. She and the other young ladies wanted to join the crowd gathered at the dining room door, but I persuaded them to keep back and allow the men to handle the problem, whatever it might be.

Mr. Bennet asked the group to return to the other rooms and allow the staff time to clean. Apparently an intruder had caused a mess. There was quite a bit of conversation to be heard after that. I heard several people mention recognizing Mr. Collins and Sir William had made a strange reference to the mince pie.

Kitty and Lydia remained with their little group of friends, chattering excitedly but not too loudly. I heard Mrs. Bennet almost crying nearby, so I moved to her side.

"Oh, Miss York!" she sobbed as I came up to her. "I do not know what to do. The party is ruined!"

"Now, now, Mrs. Bennet," I soothed. "It will be fine. These are your friends and they know it was not your fault. The party is not ruined and the dinner can be served soon. You planned things too well for a little mishap like this to spoil the meal."

"I suppose so," she sniffed into her handkerchief, "but I do not know if I can ever serve mince pie again. First Sir William falls face first into one and now Mr. Collins!" She sobbed again, then dried her eyes of the handkerchief and looked at me. "I do not know what that _odious_ man was doing here anyway!"

"The men will find out."

"But will they tell me? I know Mr. Bennet thinks me too silly to bother with. He never tells me anything." She wrung the handkerchief in her hands. Before either of us could say anything more Mrs. Hill came up to tell Mrs. Bennet that the dining room was cleaned and ready for the guests. Only a few of the pies and sweets were ruined. Enough remained for the company and the rest of the meal was not affected.

Elizabeth, who had followed Mrs. Hill over, said, "Papa, Will and Dr. Burrows are questioning Mr. Collins in Papa's study. Should we hold dinner for them?"

"You go tell them dinner is ready," Mrs. Bennet said. "They can put Mr. Collins in charge of a footman or something." Elizabeth hurried off.

She returned a few minutes later with a message from her father to begin the meal and the three men would join them soon.

"Oh, but we cannot start without them!" Mrs. Bennet wailed. "The father of the brides and both grooms are missing!"

"I will take care of it for you, Mrs. Bennet," said a voice from behind them. Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped forward and gave a small bow before heading to the study.

"Let us call in the guests, Mama," said Elizabeth.

Mrs. Bennet was still not happy, but she gave the signal for the guests to enter the dining room. Mary and Elizabeth saved seats for their betrotheds, who entered a few minutes later with Mr. Bennet. I took a seat near the group of young ladies of which Kitty and Lydia were a part.

I saw Mr. Bennet speak with Colonel Forster, who then left. Mr. Bennet stood behind his chair and said, ""As you all probably now know, we will not be serving mince pie this evening." Chuckles and titters of laughter echoed in the room. Mr. Bennet continued, "We had an invader at Longbourn who was stopped by said pie. My cousin, Mr. Collins, came on the instructions of his patroness in a foolish attempt to kidnap Lizzy and stop her from marrying Mr. Darcy." Now there were murmurs of outrage. Bennet held up his hand for silence. "He was recognized and Dr. Burrows and the boy, Teddy, intercepted him in this room. Apparently Collins just could not resist the opportunity to wash his face in one of my wife's excellent pies."

Through the laughter Sir William could be heard. "Only bit of good sense that man ever showed!"

When the laughter died down Mr. Bennet spoke again. "Mr. Collins is being dealt with and will not interrupt either the remainder of this dinner or the wedding on Monday. We must lose the pleasure of Colonel Fitzwilliam's company while handles this matter, but I am sure Mrs. Hill will send him off with a plate full of food to enjoy while ensuring that Collins has none," he chuckled and the company joined in.

"Please enjoy the meal," Bennet finished. "We are celebrating the engagement of my three oldest daughters, the friendship of you good people and the upcoming holiday season. It is a time for joy and I am glad you are all here to share it with us."

The company applauded and Mr. Bennet sat down just as Colonel Forster re-entered and took a seat near his wife. I was sorry we were to lose Colonel Fitzwilliam's company. I had hoped to be near enough to hear some of his stories. His lively manner made them such fun.

Between Mrs. Bennet's earlier comments and some of the joking banter I now heard, I believed I now understood the history behind the mince pie comments. Mr. and Miss Darcy must have been aware of Sir William's earlier experience. That would explain the request and her amusement at it.

Many people discussed Mr. Collins' foolishness. Apparently he had tried to sneak in wearing just a wig and bright clothing as a disguise. I found it hard to believe anyone would be that stupid, but clearly he was.

Discussion of holiday plans, the weddings and the upcoming assembly occupied the rest of the conversations. Several families would be hosting parties of one type or another in the next few weeks. I would need to speak with Mr. Bennet to determine if Kitty and Lydia would be allowed to attend. Their behavior this evening and at the Lucas' dinner was strongly in their favor.

When the ladies left the men to their port I sought out Mrs. Bennet to congratulate her on how well the dinner had proceeded despite the problems. All the guests appeared to have enjoyed the meal even if the number of sweets had been reduced.

"It did go well, did it not?" she said with a pleased smile. "I am sorry about the mince pie. Mr. Darcy had asked for it specifically. I wish he could have had some."

"I am sure he understands. Perhaps you could serve one later when it is just the family together."

"I am almost afraid to try," she said with a flutter of her handkerchief, "but we must have the mince at Christmas."

Lady Lucas came up to speak with Mrs. Bennet and I took the moment to check on my charges again. Kitty and Lydia were clearly determined to prove they could behave properly. I was delighted to see it. I intended to speak in their favor with Mr. Bennet.

Shortly before the men returned Mary took a seat at the pianoforte and began to play a sweet piece from memory. Elizabeth stood next to her, apparently by design. As the men entered, she signaled Mary, who shifted into the accompaniment to an Italian love song. I saw Mr. Darcy and Dr. Burrows staring at them with rapt attention. As Elizabeth finished Mr. Darcy strode to her side to thank her and kiss her hand. Dr. Burrows did the same with Mary. Both couples moved to speak with the guests and other young ladies began to take turns at the instrument.

I heard several teasing comments about the besotted behavior, but the two gentlemen refused to rise to the bait. They were obviously very happy and did not care who saw it. Colonel Fitzwilliam had apparently returned while the men had their port. He was chief among those doing the teasing. I was pleased to see he had returned safely.

Mrs. Gardiner joined me in my corner for a while. I had found it a good position from which to watch the girls and generally listen to all that was going on around me.

"I am astounded by the improvement to Lydia and Kitty's behavior," she told me. "I knew you could help them improve, but I did not expect such a degree of progress so quickly."

"The young ladies merely lacked guidance from someone they respected," I told her. "They had chosen not to listen to their older sisters for various reasons. I think they also missed out on the extra attention Jane and Elizabeth had received from you and your husband before your children came along. Mary was more willing to learn what you had taught from her sisters when you were no longer able to augment the learning they received at home."

"You are probably right. Once I had the children I did not think I could also manage the younger two because they were so very wild. I am still amazed at the difference."

"They are on their best behavior because they know I will send them upstairs in a minute if they misbehave. I am fortunate that Mr. Bennet will back me up and Mrs. Bennet has begun to understand the need as well."

"She told me earlier she had enjoyed teaching the younger girls how to arrange for a party."

"The girls enjoyed the lessons as well. They had not realized how much work a good hostess does. Understanding that the servants should not be expected to do everything helped them appreciate Mrs. Bennet more while they also learned new skills. Did you see how they arranged the nursery?"

"Yes, I found it very inviting. Bethany loved the idea of having her own corner and the boys enjoyed the toys their cousins put out for them."

"Kitty, Lydia and Miss Darcy set up the room using ideas they had learned from Mrs. Bennet."

"Fanny seems to be blooming under the attention. I have never seen her so calm, especially with something like the events before dinner."

"People are actually listening to her now. She also has been reassured that she will not lose everything when Mr. Bennet dies. Mr. Darcy, Dr. Burrows and Mr. Bingley have promised her that she will have a home and be taken care of. Having knowledge and comfort leaves her less afraid. It makes a difference."

"I heard about the inventory party. It sounds like the family made the quite the event of it."

"I have never experienced the like, but it was fun as well as useful."

We talked a little more about the inventory and then she moved on to speak with someone else.

The party lasted only a little longer. After the guests left I made sure to compliment Lydia and Kitty on their behavior. They had done well and I wanted to be sure they knew I had noticed.

They continued to do well at services the next morning. I had told them that ladies should pay attention to the service instead of any gossip floating around. I may not have convinced them, but with parties and an assembly riding on my approval they at least gave the appearance of accepting my advice.

I had hoped to speak with Mr. Bennet after services, but he returned to the dower house with Mr. Darcy and the colonel. I gathered they needed to make plans or decisions regarding Mr. Collins. The discussion about the girls could certainly wait until after that important business was handled.

Mrs. Bennet asked Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth and Mary to work with her to ensure everything was in readiness for the ceremony and wedding breakfast the next morning. Jane, Kitty and Lydia offered to provide any help needed, but after Mrs. Bennet had gone over her list it turned out everything was arranged already. Instead of more planning we all shared a pleasant time sitting together while working on various needle projects. I was running through the mending pile fairly quickly. Soon I would switch to knitting stockings.

When Mr. Bennet returned Mr. Darcy and the colonel came with him. Unfortunately they headed straight for the study, although the colonel did give me a cheerful smile in passing. They asked Elizabeth to join them and a little later Mary was called in as well. I knew Elizabeth was often in conference with the men, so the addition of Mary made me very curious as to their purpose.

I found out when they returned. The gentlemen did not stay as they wanted to leave before it became dark. When they had gone Mary and Elizabeth showed us all the wedding gifts Mr. Darcy had brought. Mrs. Bennet was in raptures over the beautiful lace shawl he had given Elizabeth and delighted by the lovely jeweled brooch in the shape of a small bouquet of flowers he had given Mary. We were all speechless when Elizabeth showed us the six necklace and earring sets that had belonged to Mr. Darcy's mother. Elizabeth was to wear a set made with rubies with her wedding gown. Mary had chosen a delicate set made with pearls and diamonds.

"Mr. Darcy said I could loan you each a set to wear tomorrow," Elizabeth told her mother and sisters. "He felt his mother would approve of having his new wife's family enjoy her jewelry. Mama, would you like to pick your set first?"

Mrs. Bennet almost swooned from the excitement and responsibility of choosing from one of the four remaining sets. After much deliberation she picked one of the two sets that also included a delicate bracelet. Her set was made from topaz with tiny diamond accents. Jane chose sapphire and Kitty amethyst. Lydia was delighted to get the other set with a bracelet, this one sporting aquamarine combined with tiny emeralds. Mrs. Gardiner and I joined them in admiring the jewelry. It made for a pleasant afternoon.

That evening before the girls retired Lydia asked me, "If I learn to behave like a proper lady do you think I will be able to marry a man who can afford jewels like the ones Mr. Darcy loaned us?"

"It is possible, although wealth is not always the best way to judge a husband. You will need to demonstrate good behavior to attract a good man. He will not want to worry that his wife might embarrass him in public."

"I would not want a husband who teases me in public like Papa does to Mama sometimes. I am glad he does not just sit and laugh at us anymore."

"He is glad you are behaving like young ladies now."

"I want to marry a good man. If it means learning all the things you have to teach me than I will do it."

"I am happy to hear that. Now, it is time for you to head off to bed. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow."

The girls both laughed and we parted for the night. I hoped tomorrow would be a beautiful day full of joy.

AN: _Miss York returns at last. Hooray! Thank you for your patience while I wandered other paths. I am posting a day later than I intended, but I blame work, traffic, a power outage and Wickham, in that order. I had to leave work late yesterday, then my 10 mile drive took over an hour when the usual rush hour mess was exacerbated by rain, wind and several non-functioning street lights at key intersections. I no sooner got settled in to start typing once I got home than the wind knocked out the power. I scribbled most of this chapter in my notebook by the faint light of a rather inadequately charged LED lantern. By the time the power and my internet connection had come back on I had just the energy left to respond to a few reviews and PMs before I stumbled off to bed. I used up my typing time this morning on the demise of piglet Wickham. I hope I am now back on track and can return to my schedule of posting a chapter a day until we reach Miss York's happy ending. Cheers!_


	14. Chapter 14

The Bennet house was in an uproar. The day of the weddings had arrived. The bustle of several women getting ready for an event along with cheerful fussing from Mrs. Bennet filled the air. I suspect Mr. Bennet had risen extra early that morning so he could dress and remove to his study away from the worst of the fuss. I did not see him all morning, at any rate. Mr. Gardiner soon disappeared as well.

Once I was dressed I went to help Kitty and Lydia with their preparations. Jane and Mrs. Gardiner assisted the brides while Mrs. Bennet did what she was best at – she fluttered her handkerchief and worried. Mrs. Gardiner had to remind her several times that things were well in hand and she needed to finish getting dressed herself. When Miss Darcy and Mildred arrived, as had been arranged, Mrs. Gardiner left Mary to Miss Darcy and marched Mrs. Bennet off to her room. Mildred came and helped Kitty while I assisted Lydia in her finishing touches. The single maid the sisters normally shared between them had been busy running errands, heating curling tongs and, I suspected, laughing at all the fuss.

Mrs. Darcy's jewels brought both joy and worry to all the ladies. Each of them frequently touched their throat and ears to check the items were still there and then smiled broadly with the confirmation. Lydia and her mother found endless amusement looking at their bracelets and watching the gems twinkle in the light. I doubt Mr. Darcy really understood how much pleasure they would take in his thoughtful loan.

Even with the fussing, fretting and delays, all the ladies were ready when time came to board the Bennet and Gardiner carriages and make their way to the church. A few stray snowflakes fell and twinkled like the diamonds in the bracelet Mrs. Bennet wore. There were few enough not to be a problem, so they merely added to the festive air of the morning.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly to the mild surprise of most in the Bennet family. With all that had happened to the couples so far, particularly to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, it seemed practically a given that some relative would object or storm the church causing mayhem. Instead the vicar read the familiar words from the Book of Common Prayer without interruption. Both couples stated their vows and Elizabeth and Mary became Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Burrows while Mrs. Bennet soaked a handkerchief with tears of joy.

The colonel was looking his polished best again as he stood up with his cousin as best man. He and Mr. Bingley, who was best man for Dr. Burrows, seemed a bit fidgety at first. They settled down as the brides were escorted in by their father. I was thrilled to receive another of the colonel's bright smiles as the party was preparing to return to Longbourn for the wedding breakfast. I had heard from Elizabeth that the colonel would be leaving right after the ceremony to take Mr. Collins to Kent and confront his aunt, but that seemed to have changed. While we were all boarding carriages I heard a snatch of conversation between him and the Duke of Montrose suggesting they would be going to Kent together on the following day.

I stayed close by my charges during the wedding breakfast. I was afraid the commotion and emotion of the day might cause their behavior to slip, but they proved themselves well. I did not even need to prompt them to offer their thanks to their new brother for the loan of the jewels. I was amused at seeing him approached by each of the Bennet ladies in turn to be given effusive praise and gratitude.

The Duke of Montrose seemed a genial man. He spoke freely with those present, despite their lower rank. He and Mr. Bennet in particular had a lengthy conversation. I was rather surprised when Mr. Bennet waved me over to where the two stood talking.

"Miss York," said the Duke after I was presented to him, "Are you by chance the daughter of the late Damien York, Viscount Stone?"

"Yes, your grace."

"He was a good man. I played chess with him by post for many years. I am sorry to see your fortunes have fallen since his death. Mr. Bennet tells me you have done wonders by his daughters."

"I am glad Mr. Bennet is pleased by their progress."

"Who inherited your father's estate again? I remember the title was not passed on."

"Lord Willoughby, the Earl of Stockleigh, was his heir."

"Did you say Lord Willoughby," asked Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had apparently been just behind me.

"Yes, Colonel. He was a distant cousin of my father."

"I cease to be surprised that you and your mother were turned out without a cent. The man is a cad. He is also one of my brother's chief creditors, although I understand him to be deeply in debt himself," the colonel said with disgust.

"Is he the one Matlock planned to have wed Miss Darcy to pay off his debts," asked the duke.

"I believe so," growled the colonel.

We all turned to look at where Miss Darcy stood chatting gaily with Mary Burrows. Seemingly as one, we shuddered at the idea of that lovely girl being forced into a marriage with a man like Lord Willoughby.

"No fear of that match. Matlock will not brave my further displeasure by interfering with the Darcys again." The duke looked at me speculatively. "So, Willoughby took everything he could and left your mother with nothing. You had a sister, too, if I recall correctly? How have they managed?"

"My mother passed away three years ago. I have been fortunate to earn enough to support my sister in a respectable boarding school."

"You have my condolences on the loss of both your parents. I remember your father's letters mentioned he had taught you to play chess with him. He had a distinctive style that I enjoyed playing against. I expect you learned it from him. I will be starting up a game with Bennet here. When I send him my moves I will include a note with a move for you. Give him your reply and he can include it with his return." The duke seemed pleased to acquire two new opponents.

"I am honored. I hope my skill meets your expectations." I noticed a bit of overly loud conversation from Lydia and excused myself to go see to her. All the while I thought of the strange coincidence that the man who had left me to this life had plotted with the Earl of Matlock to gain Miss Darcy's dowry.

I found Lydia and Kitty arguing with Miss Priscilla Long, the younger of the two Long girls, who had apparently been insisting that the necklace and ear bobs they wore were inappropriate for the occasion. "I still say they should be evening wear!" she said as I came up.

I held up a hand to stop Lydia's angry reply. She and Kitty both went silent and waited to see what I would say.

"Strictly speaking, you are correct, Miss Priscilla." The girl smirked at Lydia. I was proud that Lydia remembered herself enough not to stick out her tongue in response. It seemed to be a near thing. "However, in this case it can be excused because Mr. Darcy specifically requested that the ladies wear his mother's jewels for the occasion. I believe it was a way of having his mother close on his wedding day even though she is no longer alive and able to attend."

"I suppose that makes sense," Miss Priscilla grumbled. "They are very pretty."

"Yes, Mr. Darcy showed great trust in his new sisters to allow them to wear something so special," I told her while also reminding Lydia and Kitty of the need to take care of the items. Miss Priscilla agreed and then excused herself for a visit to the refreshment table.

Kitty looked at me nervously. "Are we in trouble, Miss York?" she asked. Lydia fidgeted next to her, waiting for my answer.

"You could have handled the situation better," I told them. "I am glad you did not stick your tongue out, Lydia," here she looked a bit ashamed, "or cause a big ruckus. I will help you learn ways to deflect unkind comments without causing insult. You do realize she was jealous, do you not? You were flaunting the jewelry and she probably felt bad that she had none, although she was also right that it would generally be for evening wear."

"We did not intend to make her jealous," said Kitty. "Priscilla is our friend. We were both just so pleased that we have been showing it off to everyone."

"I understand. I will not count this lapse against you. You are still learning. I only ask that you try to think about how your actions affect others when you get into a situation of this sort."

"Yes, Miss York," they both said with visible relief.

As I went with the girls to the refreshment table, I noticed the colonel staring at me from where he still stood by the duke's side. When our eyes met, he smiled. I hoped my return smile did not look too silly. I felt giddy at his notice.

Mrs. Bennet was equally giddy, I noticed, when Mr. Darcy took to calling her "Mother Bennet". She blushed and giggled every time he did, which I am sure prompted him to use the address more often.

Someone mentioned the snow was starting to stick outside. Dr. Burrows hoped to reach London before dark, so he and Mary decided to leave before the weather turned worse.

I found a moment to wish Mary joy before she left. She gave me a hug and asked me to look after her younger sisters well. She would be back for Christmas in just a week, but I think she felt the change in this first real parting from her family. She was a married woman now and would return for visits, but Longbourn was no longer her home.

"You will do well in your new role," I assured her. "Safe travels to you, both now and when you return for Christmas." She smiled at me before Lydia and Kitty took their turns for a farewell embrace.

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy left soon as well. At that point, the rest of the guests began leaving to head home through the snow. I found a moment to wish the colonel well on his trip to Kent.

"I shall ride in comfort with the duke," he told me. "It will probably be the easiest journey I have made in some time, even with the snow." He was called away just then by Mr. Bingley, who was ready to return to Netherfield. The colonel and the duke would be riding back with him.

All too soon, it seemed, the guests had all gone. Mr. Bennet seemed deflated at the realization that Elizabeth and Mary were truly married and gone. Kitty saw his expression and asked if he might be willing to give her another chess lesson. He had already brightened up a bit as they headed to his study.

Miss Darcy and Mildred would be staying at Longbourn that week to give the newlyweds some privacy. Miss Darcy sat with Lydia as they spoke of embroidery patterns.

"I thought the handkerchiefs you and Kitty made as gifts for your sisters were lovely. How did you come up with the ivy design for Lizzy's new initials?" she asked.

"They are similar to the carved decorations on the slate Lizzy gave me. I felt that would tell her how I enjoyed her gift."

Mrs. Gardiner, who sat nearby, asked "Did Lizzy give you her slate in the carved wooden frame?"

"Yes, Aunt. She gave it to me so I can practice my writing. I want to write well."

"Your uncle bought that as a special commission from an old soldier who had lost his legs in battle. He did beautiful carvings which he sold to support himself. I am glad you are finding a use for it."

"It is the best gift I have ever received," Lydia said firmly. Mrs. Gardiner seemed pleased with that response. I could tell she wondered, as I sometimes did, if the changes in Kitty and Lydia were only on the surface in response to the sanctions against them. From what I had seen and a few of our conversations, I was inclined to believe they truly were changing.

Lydia brought her slate out a little while later. She and Miss Darcy drew out some of their ideas for embroidery patterns and then used the ability to alter their drawings on the slate until the pattern suited them both. They then drew out the completed pattern on paper for later use. Mrs. Gardiner watched the proceedings with a pleased smile.

The design sketches demonstrated a definite talent on Lydia's part. Now that the weddings were over and the presents completed, I could spend some time with both girls teaching them how to sketch. Miss Darcy already knew, according to Mildred, and would be able to encourage them.

When Kitty returned from her chess lesson Miss Darcy suggested they work at the pianoforte for a time. I agreed that was a good idea. Mildred sat with them while Lydia and I moved to the back parlor for a spelling and writing practice.

"I am glad my aunt was not upset that Lizzy gave the slate to me," she said, stroking the cover happily.

"I think she was pleased it continues to be useful. It is a very lovely piece of work. Your response told her that it will be well cared for until you choose to pass it on to someone else."

"I do not have to pass it on as soon as I know how to read, do I?" She asked a little fearfully.

"No, only when you are ready. You will know when it is time. Remember, your sister had it for several years before she was ready to pass it on. Perhaps someday you will have a daughter who will learn to write on that slate."

She smiled. "I would like that. First, though, I need to learn enough to find and marry a good man. Can you give me some harder words to spell? I need to be educated so a well-educated man will like me."

We both laughed and then I started giving her harder words as she requested. We worked together for quite some time.


	15. Chapter 15

I was finally able to speak with Mr. Bennet that evening after dinner. I brought up the topic of the gatherings that week and the Assembly on Friday..

"You believe they are ready to be out again?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, but with stipulations." His smile told me he had expected that answer.

"So they are still on probation and parties are approved on a one by one basis after they successfully pass through the previous events?"

"Exactly. They are not ready for a blanket approval yet. Knowing they must earn each outing will keep them on track. Both very much want to attend the Assembly on Friday, so they will be careful with their behavior before then."

"What was the disturbance this morning that pulled you away from the conversation with the duke?"

"One of the other young ladies made a disparaging comment about the jewelry being inappropriate for the event, probably out of jealousy. Kitty and Lydia became a little too defensive. We have discussed it and I will teach them better ways to respond."

"Very well, I will trust your opinion on this. You may decide after each event if they may attend the next one. I will overrule you only I notice some egregious behavior that you may have missed for some reason."

"Thank you, sir. I have every faith they will do well, starting with tomorrow evening's card party at the Goulding's."

I returned to find my charges in the drawing room and let them know their behavior had earned them the chance to attend the card party. They confirmed they understood that their attendance at any event including the Assembly required they maintain the good behavior they had shown recently.

The following day Mildred and I were allowed to escort the three young ladies in to Meryton for some last minute shopping. I asked Mr. Bennet if he would relent and give the girls a part of their pin money, which had been withheld since they had gotten into trouble, so they could purchase some small gifts for the family. He grumbled a bit, but finally agreed while insisting on being the one to dispense the funds. I suspected his intent to make a production of it. I saw no harm in him having a little fun at their expense as long as he was not cruel. No matter how he chose to tease them, the girls left his study happy at having a little pocket money.

The snow had not piled up too thickly the previous day although there was a good covering on the ground. As was the usual habit of the Bennet daughters for an expedition into the village, we decided to walk. Warmly dressed, we stepped out and enjoyed the journey.

Almost as soon as we entered Meryton my charges were faced with the temptation to return to their former ways in the persons of Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny, officers with the militia unit. They greeted Kitty and Lydia with looks that reminded me strongly of my experiences avoiding Lord Rollins. I was glad we were in a large group because they made me uncomfortable. Both girls knew they were not to flirt with or even really talk with the officers, so they returned the greetings out of politeness, but said no more. Both knew it was their manner with the officers which had gotten them in trouble in the first place. I think they also noticed my discomfort as well as that of Mildred and Miss Darcy. Despite my discomfort, or perhaps because of it, I enjoyed the looks on the men's faces when the girls excused themselves with a polite curtsy and we moved on. I felt they had done well and passed the test.

As we walked away, the two men from the militia looked as if they intended to follow us and try to restart the conversation. Mildred and I both gave them our sternest looks and they subsided. I would need to speak with Lydia and Kitty to find out just how they had behaved before. The militia, outside of Colonel Forster, had been banned from Longbourn since the incident with Mr. Wickham. The colonel assisted with Mr. Wickham's capture and was welcome due to that and his important position. He had proven himself trustworthy. The other officers of his unit were still suspect.

After that encounter, we enjoyed stopping in several of the shops. Mildred and I let the three girls spend all the time they needed looking. I was glad the shops they wished to visit were close together. Every time we exited a shop I noticed small groups of men in uniform lounging about. They would look our way and appeared disappointed when none of the girls greeted them or called them over. My charges had been warned that ladies do not make an exhibition of themselves in that manner and apparently they had listened. Their ability to go out in society was riding on how they chose to act and they knew it.

We ran into Miss Lucas and Miss Maria looking at ribbons and other notions in one of the shops. In my encounters with Miss Maria she struck me as being very similar in personality to Miss Darcy but without the advantages of wealth and a good education. Her older sister, Miss Charlotte Lucas seemed steadier and much more practical. I had not spoken with her as much as I might have wished, but I already knew her to be intelligent and well read. Although there would be many reasons why she and Elizabeth were particular friends, I could not see a friendship with someone of Elizabeth's educational accomplishments being so deep if Miss Lucas did not have some of the same accomplishments. I knew her to be about my age and hoped we might have a chance to become better acquainted.

"Miss Lucas, are there always so many of the militia around?" I asked as she left the younger girls to their chatter and shopping and joined Mildred and me near the door of the shop.

"Not always, but there are certain of the officers who somehow seem to have fewer duties than the others if you judge by the time they spend wandering around the village. They are certainly out in force today. I have insisted Maria only come into the village if I am with her. It has not felt completely safe to me since the militia was quartered here and even less so since Mr. Wickham's attack on Eliza."

"I have read stories of sailors who had to put to sea in their lifeboats after loosing their ship. They sometimes find themselves in waters filled with sharks that circle silently around the boat waiting for an opportunity to snatch one of the men. As we have moved between shops today I can understand how those sailors might feel. They are safe in the boat and only a mistake or accident would give the sharks a chance to attack, but the danger is still there and visible."

"I agree with the feeling, Miss York. I do not think any of Colonel Forster's men would physically harm any of us here on a public street, even if they came across one of us alone. I would not trust any of them out of public view, however."

"A recent experience with an employer who made improper advances may have left me over-sensitive. I simply noticed a similarity between the way he looked at me and the way Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny were looking at Kitty and Lydia when we met them earlier."

"I noticed it too, Sophia," said Mildred. "I think we will do well to be cautious even if there is no present danger."

"In that spirit," Miss Lucas said, "May Maria and I continue with your little group and walk back with you until we reach the turn to Lucas Lodge?"

"We would be glad of your company," I said. "We did promise the young ladies a stop at the confectionery after we visit the book shop."

Miss Lucas raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Kitty and Lydia Bennet in a bookshop? I never thought I would see the day. Eliza told me that things are changing at Longbourn and have certainly noticed the improvement in their behavior..." she trailed off, perhaps realizing her comments might be construed as insulting to her friend's family.

I laughed. "While I am glad you have seen the improvement, matters have not changed that much. The stop for books was requested by Miss Darcy. She is looking for a few more small gifts for her brother and Elizabeth. Kitty and Lydia agreed to go in with their friend, but they did not propose the stop."

"That is a relief," she said with a chuckle. "I thought the world had turned upside down for a moment."

Miss Lucas completed a few small purchases, then came back to join us as we watched the four girls. It was clear they enjoyed minutely examining and talking over every item that caught their eyes, but they were also keeping their voices at appropriate levels. I noticed while they looked a great deal, both Kitty and Lydia were being careful with their purchases. They gazed longingly at the various notions, ribbons, fabrics and lace, it is true. What they carried out were small gifts for each family member and the supplies to make and embellish a few more handkerchiefs.

I was glad my charges had agreed to the stop at the book store. I had sent my sister's Christmas gifts before I left London. Now I hoped to find a little something for myself. Miss Maria looked astonished as we turned and entered the shop. Her view of Kitty and Lydia had clearly not associated them with books either. I saw her give a little shrug and enter with the rest of us.

I could well believe Miss Lucas' assertion that this was Elizabeth's favorite shop in the village. The tiny space seemed filled with a labyrinth of bookshelves, all well stuffed with volumes of every size. A small area near the front contained a display of stationery and quills. Bottles of ink sat in shallow boxes on a nearby shelf alongside displays of sealing wax. A locked glass case contained a variety of seals.

Miss Darcy headed to the section with books of poetry. Mildred and Miss Lucas simply browsed the shelves. Kitty and Miss Maria looked at the different writing supplies, while Lydia surprised me by quietly asking if I knew of any books that could help her learn to read better.

"Reading any book can help you. You know enough now that you can pick up what you need with concentration and practice. Shall we look and see if we can find a subject you find interesting enough that you will want to keep reading?"

She nodded. I asked the proprietor if he had any books on needlework or embroidery design. He had a few pattern books gathered on a shelf. Lydia and I carefully looked at the offerings. One pattern book in particular caught her eye. It had sections of prose describing how to do various types of needlework interspersed with patterns on squared paper so they could be copied and enlarged before being transferred to the fabric by pouncing or pinning and basting behind the fabric for thin fabrics like muslin. Lydia did not have quite enough money to buy the book. I thought it was a very special volume, so I chose to buy it for myself. I told Lydia she would be able to read through it and copy the patterns just as well if it were my book as if it were hers. We were both happy at the purchase.

I could see Lydia was discouraged at how much books cost. She had not considered them of value before, so she had no notion of the costs involved in producing the book or the price the shopkeeper would need to set in order to make a profit. She had probably thought them to be priced like the ribbons she and Kitty loved to purchase. After we discussed the pattern book I suggested she join her sister looking at the writing supplies while I browsed a bit.

Tucked away on a corner shelf I found a copy of Aesop's Fables in a translation suitable for younger readers. This might be a good way to help Lydia start reading while also giving us topics to discuss. It was a used copy in good but not perfect condition and was priced quite reasonably as a result. I knew Mr. Bennet would probably reimburse me for it if I asked, but even if he did not I decided it was a worthwhile purchase.

Kitty purchased a small bottle of green ink for Mary to use when writing letters, and Lydia chose a quill which had been dyed in shades of green as a gift to accompany the ink. Miss Darcy found two volumes of poetry she thought her brother might not yet own and purchased them as gifts for him and Elizabeth. Mildred and the Lucas ladies bought nothing but had still enjoyed looking, so the stop was considered a success by us all.

We enjoyed visiting the confectioner's shop as well. It was a cheerful, inviting place filled with the scent of sweet goodies. Miss Darcy insisted on treating all of us to the item of our choice. I was not sure about accepting and Miss Lucas seemed equally unsure, but Mildred whispered to us that we should.

Miss Lucas, Mildred and I sat at one of the small tables provided for customers while the four girls crowded around another to enjoy their treats. Miss Lucas asked Mildred questions about her impressions of Pemberley. Elizabeth had asked her friend to visit in the spring in hopes that Miss Lucas could find a match in the neighborhood. The area around Meryton boasted far more women than eligible men making competition for husbands fierce. The luck of the Bennet ladies in attracting three visitors to marry their eldest three daughters was something of a strange fluke.

Mildred's descriptions of Pemberley sounded very inviting. She had only stayed a short time at the end of the summer, before Miss Darcy had traveled to town with her brother, but she still had time to find much to please her. The house and grounds were both large and beautiful. The household staff welcomed her, particularly Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, who loved the Darcys as if they were her own children. Mildred and Miss Darcy had ventured into Lambton twice during their stay. The key village near Pemberley, Lambton was somewhat larger than Meryton and had a larger variety of places to shop. Nearby Kympton was more comparable in size to Meryton.

Miss Lucas looked forward to the visit with excitement. She wanted the chance to see new country and enjoy the company of her newly married friend. Her hopes were also high that she might find a husband.

"I am not romantic," she told us. "A respectable husband and a home of my own, no matter how small, are all I ask. I do not wish to be a burden on my family and if I do not marry I will be." Both Mildred and I understood that kind of pride.

When we left the confectioner I noticed the red-coated sharks still circled at a distance. Even had Mr. Bennet not forbidden it, I would not allow Kitty and Lydia to travel into the village alone. I could tell Mildred had determined the same for Miss Darcy. The men might prove to be either good or bad, but there was no point in taking chances.

We parted ways with the Lucas sisters where a lane to Lucas Lodge turned off the main road. They were the closest estate to Longbourn on the south just as Netherfield was to the north. Our remaining walk to Longbourn went quickly despite the piled snow. The girls spent most of it chattering about the various small gifts they had found and how much the Gardiner children would enjoy the bag of candies Lydia and Kitty had bought for them. I suggested the girls check with Mrs. Gardiner b before making any mention of the candy to their cousins. Their aunt would probably prefer the candy be distributed a little at a time. While disappointed that they would probably miss the wide-eyed joy of the children at receiving a handful of candies each, the girls took comfort that the gift would last longer while still being enjoyed.

Upon our return Kitty and Miss Darcy headed to the pianoforte for some practice before it was time to prepare for the party. Lydia and I chose to sit in the back parlor to read and discuss a few of Aesop's fables. These activities kept us well occupied until it was time to take a light dinner and change our clothes before the party.


	16. Chapter 16

The Goulding's party proved to be another challenge. A few of the most popular officers had been invited, including Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny. The girls, mindful of the need to to act in a manner that would not cause them to lose party privileges, tried their best to avoid any of the officers. Despite the attempts to discourage them, Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny followed the girls from group to group relentlessly. I tried to ease the situation by staying close and, where I could, blocking their ability to join a game the girls had joined. .Mildred and Miss Darcy did the same, but the two men found ways and insisted on talking to Kitty and Lydia whether they received a response or not. Finally I had enough. Leaving Mildred to do her best as guard, I went in search of Colonel Forster.

"Sir, may I have a moment of your time?" I asked, coming up to the table where he played.

"Let me just finish this hand and I will be right with you, Miss York," he answered, playing a card. A few minutes later he not only finished the hand, but won it and the small pot. The Gouldings had requested that all games remain either low stakes or played for fun with fish counters but no real money involved. This would allow all to play if they wished.

"How may I assist?" he asked, rising from the table and stepping aside to join me.

"I wish your help in asking a few of your officers to stay away from my charges, Kitty and Lydia Bennet. The younger Bennets have been forbidden to speak with any of your officers since the trouble with Mr. Wickham. They have tried to avoid responding to your men, but Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny persist in attempting to speak with them. The girls have moved tables several times attempting to get away but the men follow. If you look now you can see how they are trying to provoke a response from Lydia."

"I will deal with this, Miss York. Thank you for coming to me instead making a fuss with the men directly."

We walked together to the table where Kitty and Lydia sat. I stood between them while the colonel requested a word with his men. He took them aside and spoke quietly with them. I hoped he was clear they should not approach my charges without giving the men cause to resent my interference.

"Thank you, Miss York," said Kitty quietly. "We did not want to be rude, but they would not leave us alone. I had no idea what to do."

"You were right not to make a scene. I felt it would be best to have their commanding officer request they leave you alone as they were clearly not getting the message."

"We will not be in trouble because they tried to talk with us, will we?" asked Lydia.

"No, I saw you were trying to discourage them. Enjoy your game. I do not believe they will trouble you again tonight."

The captain and lieutenant kept to the other side of the room from my charges for the rest of the evening after the colonel spoke with them. They did not seem pleased, but I could not detect any outright anger from them. I hoped they had not been punished, merely warned to change their behavior.

I was glad the colonel was willing to step in. The girls had become distressed thinking they might be denied any further outings. The evening could have been ruined for them if the problem continued. They deserved some fun after the work they had been putting into their own improvement. My job was not to squelch their lively ways or spoil their fun, just to ensure they knew how to act appropriately so they did not embarrass themselves or their family. They had done well in trying circumstances.

Mr. Bennet came over shortly after the colonel had spoken with his men. He quietly asked me why I had needed to approach the colonel. I explained the problem that had faced his daughters and assured him they had not encouraged the men in any way. He stepped between the two girls, gently placed a hand on each of their backs and whispered, "Well done." He then headed off to join a game at another table. Kitty and Lydia smiled at each other and returned to their game with a little more energy.

Before they retired for the night I gave the girls the news they had earned the right to attend the soiree the following evening at they Heyworth's home. I wished them good and pleasant dreams and left to the sound of a little celebratory giggling.

We had our usual lessons the next day. All three girls spent some time practicing with the wooden slices on their heads. They wanted to move gracefully in their party dresses. I had them concentrate on moving from standing to sitting and back. Those were the moments that could look most awkward.

It felt like a good day for a little silliness, so I also challenged them to do other things while balancing the wooden slices. Watching Lydia try to read or embroider with her "wooden bonnet" on was quite amusing. Mildred told me later Kitty spent as much time picking hers up off the floor as she did actually playing on the pianoforte. It made for a lively day.

Before we left for the evening's entertainment I spoke with all three young ladies. "If any of the officers are at the party you may make a polite acknowledgment if one of them greets you. You should then politely ask the man not speak with you again, explaining that you are not allowed to keep company with any of the men in the militia. Curtsy and step away from the situation. If the man persists let me, Mildred or you father know. We will take steps from there. I should be near you most of the time anyway, but given the problems last night I want you to have a plan if the situation requires it."

"Miss York, why did Carter and Denny keep following us yesterday evening even though we would not speak to them and tried to get away?" Lydia asked.

"Lydia, please use their rank or mister before their name when speaking of either man. Using their names without the honorific indicates more familiarity than a young lady should express. "

She hung her head a little, although I also saw a bit of the old pout start to appear when she said, "Yes, Miss York."

"As to your question, I am not completely sure what they intended by persisting with their attentions. However, I want you to think about how you behaved with Mr. Wickham, Captain Carter, Lieutenant Denny and the other officers previously. I understand you were very forward in your speech, calling them by name as you just did, and flirting in a very open manner." Kitty now hung her head and shuffled her feet.

"Based on your behavior these men probably believed you to be young ladies of loose morals." I continued. "I am sure they hoped for an opportunity to take advantage of you. Seeing you out in public again allowed them an opening to continue to pursue you. They are not interested in marriage because your previous behavior made them believe marriage would not be necessary to get what they want from you. You will need to be very careful in the future not to allow yourself to encourage or be alone with any of them."

"You mean they might hurt us just because of the way we talked?" asked Lydia in surprise.

"It was both speech and behavior, but yes, they might."

Mildred spoke up, "Miss Lydia, your way of addressing a person makes a difference. We set a tone or establish our places in a relationship by the way we speak of someone. Men may call each other by just their surnames to indicate friendship or they may refer to someone who is not a friend that way to indicate contempt. Young ladies are expected to be more formal, particularly with men who are not related to them. To ape the manners men use to address each other does not speak well of a young lady's character. It is not proper and leads people to believe that she will behave poorly in other ways. Do you understand?"

Lydia still would not look at any of us. "I suppose so," she grumbled.

"Good," I said, trying to return to more pleasant talk. "You have both done very well in company so far. We want to help you continue to do well so you may attend the assembly. I am sure you will pay more attention to how you speak of others now that we have warned you."

Lydia looked up and nodded, although she still appeared somewhat sulky. Kitty and Miss Darcy also nodded. Jane came in just then to let us know the carriages were ready and we should get our wraps so we could leave.

We arrived at the Heyworth home in good time. The house was decorated with a good dose of Christmas cheer and the people had decorated themselves cheerfully as well. The ladies had on their fine dresses and fancy hairstyles. Elizabeth had left the topaz set of jewelry for her mother to wear to the occasion and Mrs. Bennet enjoyed the way the bracelet sparkled by the candlelight in the rooms.

"I wish we could have worn Will's mother's necklaces tonight," Lydia complained. She had not yet lost all traces of her earlier sulkiness.

"You are fortunate you were allowed to attend this evening. The necklaces were loaned for a special occasion but they do not belong to you. It was your sister's wish that your mother wear the jewels. If you will notice she did not leave another set even for your sister, Jane, who is closest to her. I think she did not want you to start feeling as if you owned them."

"That is very true," said a familiar voice from behind us. We turned to find Mr. and Mrs. Darcy had come in and heard at least part of the conversation. Elizabeth continued, "I may loan you jewelry at other times, but you should not expect it always. These pieces are very special and should be treated that way." They saw she was wearing the pearl and diamond set Mary had given back before leaving the wedding breakfast. It complimented her lovely gown of light blue shot with silver threads and trimmed with a delicate pattern also worked in silver.

"Lizzy, you look so lovely!" said Kitty, giving her sister a gentle hug. Lydia stepped forward to embrace her as well.

"My wife is always lovely," said Mr. Darcy cheerfully, "but she is radiant this evening."

The young ladies greeted their new brother gladly and Lydia's sulky moment was forgotten. Miss Darcy, who had stepped aside to speak with another young lady for a moment returned to embrace both brother and sister.

"I did not realize you would be here this evening," she said brightly.

"Your new sister wanted me to bring her and I was forced to obey," Mr. Darcy answered teasingly.

"Oh, Will," said Lizzy, leaning slightly against his shoulder, "you make it sound like such a trial." She chuckled.

"Of course it is a trial," he said with mock indignation. "Here I must share you with sisters and parents and friends. You may run off with them and leave me all alone."

"Silly man, I will stay by your side all evening long."

"I will hold you to that, madam," he said with a smile. I suspected that if her hand was not already wrapped around his arm he would would have brought it to his lips for a kiss. He looked as if he wished to kiss more than her hand, in fact.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet came up to greet their son and daughter. Jane and Mr. Bingley soon came over as well, followed by several other guests who had spotted the couple. I indicated to the girls that we should move aside for a time.

We mingled with the guests. Mildred and I stood back a little and let the three converse freely with their friends. We looked at each other in surprise when Miss Priscilla Long came up to Lydia and said, "I see your mother and sister are wearing their sparkling finery tonight. What about you? Did you do something to anger Mrs. Darcy so she would not let you borrow her jewels?"

Lydia shot me a look before she answered. She was still not in the best of moods and I suspected she was weighing the consequences of sticking out her tongue at Miss Priscilla.

"The jewels are very special to my sister and Mr. Darcy," she responded primly, "They may loan them to us again, but the timing is up to them. I think my sister simply wanted to give our mother a special treat by allowing her to wear them this evening."

"Yes," said Kitty who had heard the exchange, "Mama does so enjoy the topaz set. I heard Mr. Darcy say that his mother would have been pleased to have his new mother wear them. I would not be surprised if he and Lizzy gave them to Mama for Christmas."

Miss Priscilla turned the conversation to other things and they got along pleasantly enough after that. I think both Kitty and Lydia recognized the jealousy this time. I was rather glad for the earlier conversation about the jewels as it gave Lydia an appropriate response to the taunt.

I found myself glad we had discussed how to deal with the officers earlier as well. Captain Carter was not at the gathering, but Lieutenant Denny and a few others were. The lieutenant approached Lydia at a time when I was distracted by a conversation with our hostess. Kitty and Miss Darcy were equally distracted, leaving Lydia briefly on her own.

From where I stood I saw him approach with an unpleasant expression on his face. He whispered something to her but she refused to respond in kind. I had quickly excused myself from my conversation and headed over in time to hear her politely and firmly say exactly what we had discussed. She gave him a dismissively short curtsy then moved to my side.

"I believe you have already been warned to stay away from the Bennet ladies, Lieutenant," I said. "In future see that you do."

"Ladies?" he scoffed. "That one is nothing but a tart who has flaunted herself and her assets at every man in the company and her sister is not much better. Wickham told me how she made up to him. She will never be a lady."

Mr. Darcy stepped up accompanied by Colonel Forster. "Stay away from my sisters, Lieutenant. Whatever their behavior may have been before, they are under my protection now."

"As Miss York said," added the colonel, "you have been warned. I told you not to approach any of the Bennets, yet here you are. You will return to the camp immediately. Tomorrow we will discuss your disobedience."

Lieutenant Denny saluted his commanding officer and turned to leave with a nasty glare at Lydia and me.

"I apologize Miss York, Miss Bennet. I thought I had made myself very clear to him last night."

"Thank you, colonel," Lydia almost whispered.

"Yes, thank you," I added. "The lieutenant's behavior worries me, sir."

"He will not be able to attend any public gatherings for a time. You should be safe. Please let me know if he makes any other attempt to approach you." We both nodded.

"He was a friend to Wickham, was he not?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"I believe Wickham joined our unit at Lieutenant Denny's suggestion. I take your point. I will have him close to quarters when possible and under watch when he is not."

"Thank you, sir." Mr. Darcy replied.

The colonel moved away to join the group where his wife was standing. Mr. Darcy stayed.

"How are you, Lydia?" he asked with concern.

"Angry." she replied. "He told me it was my fault he was in trouble with his commander and that he expected me to meet him tomorrow where I used to meet with Wickham and pay him for the trouble. I used to think he liked me, but he called me a tart." She stomped her foot. "Why did no one stop me from behaving that way before the trouble with Mr. Wickham?"

"Would you have listened?" I asked. "You paid no attention to your older sisters' attempts."

She stomped her foot again, then sighed. "I know," she said sulkily. "I know. It just makes me mad that what I thought was right is wrong and what I thought was wrong is right. I want to be good and do well, but sometimes it is very confusing."

"You are doing very well, Lydia," Mr. Darcy told her. "I have heard from your father, from Georgie and from Mrs. Annesley how well you and Kitty behaved yesterday and I saw it myself at the Lucas dinner party, your mother's party and the wedding breakfast. I would not have recognized you for the same girls I saw at the very first assembly I attended."

She laughed at that. "Would you have recognized anyone other than Lizzy from that assembly if you had not been introduced to us again?"

"Probably not," he said with an answering chuckle. "I did have a severe headache and did not pay very much attention beyond being annoyed by the noise," he sobered, "but you do understand how proud I am of your changed behavior, do you not?"

"Yes, Will," she said softly. "I want my family to be proud of me."

He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Just keeping trying and be sure to pay attention to what Miss York teaches you. You will do fine."

Although I did not break in to their conversation I did agree with him. She still had much to learn, but Lydia would do fine if we just gave her the time and guidance.


	17. Chapter 17

The remainder of the evening at the Heyworth home held no negative incidents. I was, however, pleasantly surprised when Kitty and Miss Darcy stepped up to the pianoforte following a piece by another young lady. They sat and played a simple Christmas song in duet, with Miss Darcy using her uninjured right hand to play the bass line while Kitty played the treble. They performed well and received several sincere compliments. All present seemed to realize this was Kitty's first public performance and encouraged her to continue.

Mildred not only grinned, but actually winked at me when I shot her an inquiring look as they played. She must have been coaching them while I worked with Lydia. The back parlor was in the far wing of the house and well away from the music room. The sound of the pianoforte when they practiced had not been much more than a distant suggestion of noise. We certainly could not make out _what_ they were playing. It was quite the surprise.

I was delighted to see Mr. Bennet congratulate Kitty on the results of her hard work. The Darcys hugged both girls while assuring them they had done well. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner also complimented them on the results of their hard work. Mrs. Bennet even told them she thought it sounded very nice.

Lydia teased her sisters, old and new, about having only one hand each with which to work. She told them they had not done half bad for having been off handed. The joke was only half funny, but the girls all enjoyed it anyway.

Other young ladies performed through the rest of the evening, but none sounded as good to me as that simple Christmas song. The season was one of hope and the song a good reminder of the hopes I had for the improvement of my young ladies.

That evening I let them know they had succeeded again. They could attend the Christmas tea party their Aunt Phillips was hosting the next afternoon. If they did well there they would have earned the right to attend the Assembly on Friday night.

On the way home I had remembered two of Aesop's Fables I felt might prove fruitful to discuss. I looked them up before I went to bed that evening and marked the pages. The next morning, after breakfast, Mildred and I gathered the three young ladies in the back parlor. I had Lydia read aloud first the story of the eagle and the arrow, then the story of the two frogs. Both stories end with the death of a character. The eagle's death is sad because the arrow that killed it was fletched with its own feathers. The frog's death was due to his own stubbornness by insisting on living in a puddle on a cart track although he had been warned of the danger.

When Lydia finished reading, a task she had performed well, I asked the girls to think about the two stories and discuss both the differences and how the stories might apply to recent events. Mildred and I let them lead their own discussion, so I was glad to see they took the assignment seriously.

"The eagle did not give his feathers to the man, did he?" asked Kitty.

"It does not appear so from the story," Miss Darcy offered. "I would suppose the feathers dropped naturally and the man picked them up and decided to use them in making his arrow."

"So it was just an accident that those particular feathers were on _that_ arrow. The eagle did not do anything wrong, but it died anyway," Kitty speculated.

"The frog did do something wrong," said Lydia. "His friend warned him he was living in a dangerous place and offered to lead him to a nice new home, but the frog was stubborn and refused to go. Then the cart ran over him."

"So me being attacked by George Wickham was like the eagle and the arrow," said Miss Darcy. "I was not doing anything wrong, but because he was angry at my brother and wanted my dowry he hurt me and tried to kidnap me. My brother and my dowry were the feathers."

"But Kitty and I were like the frog," said Lydia. I could have applauded her for that, but kept my hands still and remained silent so she could think it out herself.

"Our sisters tried to warn us our behavior was dangerous," she continued, "but we thought we knew better and just carried on as we were. For us, _Mr._ Wickham and the other officers are like the cart. They would hurt us just because we happen to be there in the dangerous place."

"But we could be like the eagle, too," said Kitty. "We are changing our behavior so we are no longer in that dangerous place, but our old behavior is like the feathers on the arrow and could still cause us harm if we are not careful." She turned to me. "That is why you picked those two particular stories, is it not? Because we fit both of them."

"Yes, Kitty. That is why I picked those stories."

Kitty and Miss Darcy asked Lydia to read the stories again. This time they listened with a deeper understanding of how their actions could have unintended consequences. We had no immediate solution to the problems, but now they knew to be cautious.

When the discussion starting repeating itself I decided it was time to move on. We took out paper and pencils and had a lesson on sketching. I had them each attempt to sketch the girl to their right. Kitty and Lydia's results were amusing, but still showed promise and were recognizable as people although not the people intended. Miss Darcy was more practiced and her sketch of Lydia held good detail. We then as a group took each sketch and looked for ways it could be improved. They enjoyed the occupation and the chance to help one another. All three would need a great deal of practice before they could be called proficient, but they were beginning to learn the skills to help them improve.

The tea party proved to be the most enjoyable of the three events since the wedding. It was less formal, given by family and most importantly, none of the militia officers attended. The other events had more of the local gentry in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips had closer ties to the tradesman in Meryton so, aside from the Bennets, most of the guests were in trade of one sort or another. Of course these people were all well known to Kitty and Lydia for they had often attended events held by their aunt. I discovered Mrs. Phillips' Christmas tea was an annual event and many of the shopkeepers would either have an assistant take over or close for an hour or two and come mingle with their friends. People came and went in waves, giving cheery greetings and wishing people the joy of the season.

Mrs. Phillips had not attended the Heyworth soiree, but she had heard that Kitty and Miss Darcy played. She asked them to play their piece for her and they complied with pleasure. Mrs. Phillips was delighted by the simple song.

"To think, our Kitty is learning to play now too," she said, clapping her hands a little and then clasping them in front of her chest. "And you are so sweet to help her along, Miss Darcy. You know I consider you my niece now as well."

Miss Darcy beamed. "May I call you Aunt Phillips?"

"Oh, yes, dear! Please do. You and that brother of yours are part of the family."

Mrs. Bennet, who had come up as Mrs. Phillips spoke, added, "And you must call me Mother Bennet, just as your brother does. My sister is right, you are part of our family now and I know my girls look at you as another sister."

"Thank you," Miss Darcy said with tears in her eyes. "Please call me Georgiana or Georgie. I have wanted to have a family for so long and I think you are all such wonderfully kind people. I only had Aunt Catherine and she has never been kind."

"Well, Georgie," said Mrs. Phillips, "you and Kitty come along and have some tea and a treat. I did enjoy your playing. I miss having Mary here to play the Christmas songs and other music for the party. It somehow feels a bit flat."

I stepped up then and offered to play for a bit. I felt the girls were safe enough here and I could watch them from the pianoforte as well as not. Mrs. Phillips accepted happily, so I took a seat and launched into a series of Christmas songs interspersed with other light pieces that I had memorized for entertaining. I kept the music soft so it would not interfere with the conversations around me but would form a pleasant background. It had been some time since I could sit and play for pleasure. I enjoyed having the opportunity and helping brighten Mrs. Phillips' party.

About halfway through our time there Mildred came over and suggested she spell me for a time so I could have some tea and meet some of the other guests. She took my seat and played while I went to get refreshments. I had an interesting conversation with the bookseller about how he chose his stock. He knew the reading tastes of most in the area and ordered new books accordingly, but sometimes he would purchase books from estate sales. My copy of Aesop probably came from one of those lots.

I received congratulations from a few of the guests on the improvements to the behavior of the youngest Bennets. The Bennet family was well-liked in Meryton and the people who spoke with me said it had saddened them to see how wild the girls had become. They had hope now the girls would take their places as respected members of the community.

After enjoying my tea and conversations I returned to the pianoforte and played again until the party ended. Mrs. Phillips expressed her gratitude before Mildred and I left. "It just would not be a holiday party without the music," she said.

Kitty seemed impressed by the performance Mildred and I had given. "How do you remember so many songs?" she asked us. "I was having trouble just remembering the one."

"It is a matter of practice," I told her. "The more you practice, the more the song becomes embedded in your memory. You will gain a repertoire of songs to fall back on in situations where you do not have the sheet music with practice as well." I do not think she quite believed me, but the answer did suffice.

We returned to Longbourn to enjoy a quiet evening. After I confirmed they could attend the Assembly, the girls gathered in the back parlor to make adjustments and embellishments to the dresses they intended to wear. Mildred and I sat in the room with them and occupied ourselves with our own tasks while we let them work on their own.

I had received a small package from my sister in the post. I took the opportunity to open it and found a beautifully knitted pair of lace mitts worked in fine cotton thread and a letter. I immediately donned the mitts and proceeded to read my letter.

Grace wrote to wish me joy at the season. She had received my gifts and the change of direction. After expressing thanks she wrote:

 _I hope your new employment with the Bennet family will be safer and more satisfactory than your last position, sister. I know you work to support us both, but I would not have you in a place you might suffer harm for all the money in the world._

 _I continue to work hard at my lessons. I am learning skills to help me make my way in the world and ease the burden you bear. I want you to be proud of the person I am becoming and I always remember that without your love and support I would not have this safe home or opportunity to learn._

 _I miss you and mother always, but most particularly at this time of year when many of my schoolfellows are returning home to spend the holiday with their families. I am not alone here by any means. Some of my companions are even more bereft of family than I. We comfort each other, but it is still not the same._

 _I send you all my love and these mitts I have knitted for you. My best wishes for your happiness and good health are contained in each stitch. I hope you will wear them and think of me._

 _Your loving sister,_

 _Grace_

I sat there with the letter in my lap and the mitts on my hands and cried a bit. I was surrounded by good people as well, but she was right – it was not the same. I missed Grace terribly. I also missed Mother and Father and the life we all had. My moment of indulgence was broken by Lydia. I had not even noticed her approach until she sat next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Have you received bad news?" she asked with concern.

"No, I just had a letter from my sister that made me miss her." I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped my eyes. She saw the mitts then.

"Oh, how lovely!" she said, taking hold of my arm and drawing my hand closer so she could get a good look at one. "The knitting is so smooth and even and that pattern looks like little bunches of flowers. Kitty! Georgie! Come look at what Miss York's sister sent her!"

I sniffed back another tear and tried to regain my composure as the three gathered round me to inspect my gift. Mildred looked up from her embroidery project to smile at me. I gave her a nod before I looked back at the young ladies who now peppered me with questions.

"Did your sister really knit these?" "How old is she?" "Where did she find the pattern?" "What is her name?" "Where is she living?" They asked these and many more. I answered as best I could and my moment of sadness eased. Surrounded as I was by their friendly attention, I knew I could assure Grace of my good circumstances when I next wrote.


	18. Chapter 18

We spent Friday alternating between lessons and work on the gowns. Lydia had a good eye for decoration and color although she did need to learn the value of restraint. Miss Darcy, Mildred or I stopped her a few times when she wanted to add too many ribbon roses or lengths of lace. Kitty did not have such a flair for combining colors, but had a better idea of when to stop adding embellishments. She asked Lydia to help her select the right ornaments, but arranged and applied them herself.

Miss Darcy had never refurbished one of her own dresses. She made and added a few tiny ribbon roses for the neckline and the tops of her gloves. For the most part she participated just to be part of the group. She chatted about the upcoming Assembly with Jane when the eldest Bennet sister joined us for a time. This would be Miss Darcy's first such gathering and she appeared both excited and apprehensive. Jane reassured her that it was really just another party and all the participants would already be known to her. She had nothing to fear.

I wondered if Colonel Fitzwilliam would return in time to join us at the assembly. Not knowing how long his tasks in Kent would take or the full scope of them, I could only hope he was safe, wherever he might be.

The excitement in the house was such a palpable thing that Mildred and I began to feel it as well. Our role was merely to watch, not dance, but it would still be an evening with good company. The young ladies were instructed to return to us between each set. I also warned Kitty and Lydia to be careful of how much punch they drank. If either of them became tipsy or too boisterous I would call the carriage and take them both home at once. They agreed to the restrictions, although not without a little reluctance on Lydia's part.

We arrived to find the assembly hall brightly lit and filled with happy people. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy had arrived shortly before us. He was being subjected to friendly teasing about headaches and insulting the ladies instead of dancing with them. He looked relieved at the arrival of our group as they both came to greet us. He still had to take some teasing from Mr. Bennet, but that was only to be expected. He complimented all the ladies on how well they looked. His remarks to "Mother Bennet" earned him a quick kiss on the cheek from the blushing woman before she bustled off to speak with some of her friends.

Mr. Bingley appeared soon after us and glued himself to Jane's side. Jane had told me earlier he had already claimed the first and last sets at any dance they would _ever_ attend together. I wondered if he would stick so close by her side for the rest of the evening that no one else would dare ask her to dance.

I looked around the room and saw a small number of red coats. Thankfully, Lieutenant Denny was not among them. To my sorrow, none were worn by the officer I hoped to see. I asked Mr. Bingley if the colonel had returned from Kent yet.

"No, he has not. He sent us a note from Rosings Park to say he and the duke had arrived safely and spoke with Lady Catherine. He mentioned tracking down the bishop and thought it might take a day or two longer than he had hoped. He expects to be back by Christmas Day at any rate. He looks forward to another family meal at the Bennet house after losing out on the last one due to Collins."

The dancing was to begin soon, so Mr. Bingley escorted Jane out to the floor. Two local men came and asked Kitty and Lydia to dance while another requested an introduction to Miss Darcy for the same purpose. They joined the set with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, so I felt sure they would be safe enough. I took the opportunity to make a circle of the rooms and identify which militia officers were present. To my relief, I discovered neither Lieutenant Denny or Captain Carter. I did not recognize any of the other men except for Colonel Forster, who was dancing the first with his wife, although I had met so few of the men that was hardly surprising. Still, I had hopes that we could enjoy an evening without trouble from any of the officers. I even had hope there would be no trouble from Kitty or Lydia. I returned to stand by Mildred near a narrow window and watch the dance.

As they had promised, all three girls had their partners escort them to where Mildred and I stood. Other gentlemen stepped up to request their company for the next dance and soon they were on the floor again. Mr. Darcy escorted Miss Lucas to stand with us after he danced the second with her and Elizabeth joined us as well.

"I remember this spot," said Mr. Darcy looking at the window. "I stood here to soothe my aching head and listened to people gossip about how poorly all of us from Netherfield were behaving." He smiled at his wife and added, "This is also where my Elizabeth forgave me my earlier insults and agreed to help me regain my character."

"It was a life-changing moment for both of us," she told him. "Now, you have promised to dance every dance and you know you must prove to Richard it is possible. Let me lead you to your next partner."

He bowed then took her hand. "I am your willing servant, madam. Lead on."

The three girls laughed to see Mr. Darcy so besotted.

"My brother rarely danced before. Even when he attended balls he might only dance with the hostess and one or two others. He has never before danced every dance. Richard bet he would find a way to get out of it."

"I think the colonel may lose that bet," said Miss Lucas with a smile. We all laughed at her assertion. She stayed to speak with us after the younger three were claimed for the next set.

"I am glad they are having a good time tonight," she said looking at the girls, who had joined her sister Maria in the line. "It seems none of the militia are willing to brave their colonel's displeasure by going anywhere near them."

"Colonel Forster said he would keep Lieutenant Denny close to quarters after the incident at the Heyworth's. I was relieved that Captain Carter seems to have stayed away this evening as well."

"The colonel's willingness to take a strong stance has pleased many in the community. The incident with Mr. Wickham had people worried. If Lieutenant Denny had been allowed to insult Lydia without censure I think the militia as a whole would have lost the favor of the neighborhood. Of course we had no choice but to host them. We are not required to make them feel welcome. Most of them have proven to be good guests, but as a group they make more than just me nervous."

"I wonder if we would be just as nervous if the small groups of men we saw hanging around the village had not been wearing the soldier's red coat," I asked her.

"Perhaps not to the same degree, although any group of loiterers would probably be cause for concern. There is something dangerous about the red coat, which may actually be why so many girls are drawn to them. The soldier's garb speaks of adventure and excitement. We women crave these things, stuck as we are in our homes, unable to travel on our own or make our own way in life except through the kind of service you have entered. Maybe we feel like a little of the excitement will rub off on us in their company."

"But we three understand it is not a matter of adventure and excitement. They go to kill or be killed in fields of horror., at least the regulars do. Perhaps it is exciting, but not the kind I would enjoy."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam does not have the best opinion of the militia," Mildred told us, "particularly those who want the cachet of wearing the uniform without being willing to do the work and take the risks. He respects the men who go this route because they cannot afford a commission in the regulars but hope that with training and experience they might be able to make the switch. Those men he is willing to train and assist. His comments about the other kind are of the nature I cannot repeat as a lady." We all chuckled at that.

We watched the dancers as they went through the set, chatting a little as topics occurred to us. The girls returned when the dance finished. When they went away again with new partners Miss Lucas also returned to the floor with a partner. Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas wandered our way and stopped to chat.

"It is so good to see the girls out dancing again," said Mrs. Bennet. "When Mr. Bennet confined them to the house I was afraid they would not be able to return to society for months. They certainly do look well this evening."

"Very well," confirmed Lady Lucas. "I am glad to see my Charlotte and Maria out there with them. Maria does enjoy the company of Kitty, Lydia and Miss Darcy."

"I do so hope they will make good matches, especially now that they are being trained by Miss York and Mrs. Annesley.

"Yes, you were fortunate to find someone to help calm Kitty and Lydia down. They had such high spirits I feared for them. You have done very well, Miss York, to have effected such a change in so short a time."

"Mrs. Annesley started the process," I said, giving credit where it was due. "The young ladies also want to improve, which has helped them learn and mature faster."

"I am glad that awful Lieutenant Denny is not here tonight," Mrs. Bennet said. "He was so very insulting the other evening."

"I believe his colonel will keep him under control," I told her. She nodded.

"Look at how Mr. Bingley is trying to keep Jane constantly in his sight. I am sure he is happy it is just one month until they wed. Three daughters married! I only hoped I could be so happy. And now Kitty and Lydia will have a much greater chance to attract a man of wealth and substance. Surely one of my new sons will have a friend who is right for them."

"I hope my girls have equal good fortune," said Lady Lucas with a little sigh.

"Oh, Will is sure to find someone for your Charlotte this spring," said Mrs. Bennet encouragingly. "Lizzy wants to see her friend happily matched and her husband wants to keep her happy. You mark my words, she will be married by this time next year. I am certain."

I felt Mrs. Bennet was probably correct. Mr. Darcy seemed the kind of man to move heaven and earth for those he cared about. If Elizabeth wanted him to find a husband for her friend, he would. I felt just a little bit jealous, but only for a moment. I would find my own way and my situation was very pleasant at the moment. I had no doubts that when this position ended I would have assistance from both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner to find my next one.

The evening proceeded in much the same fashion until two dances before the last when Mr. Darcy presented himself to me as a dance partner. I was going to decline, but he told me that Elizabeth insisted that I dance at least one dance that night and he was chosen to be my partner. Mildred gave me a little push in the back to start me on my way to the dance floor.

I had forgotten how fun the dance could be. It helped that Mr. Darcy was a skilled dancer. I had taught the steps to Miss Thompson and practiced with her so I knew them well. It was simply more fun in the atmosphere of the assembly than practicing with my charge in a small empty room to the sounds of a single pianoforte played badly by one of the other servants. I would have to thank Elizabeth later.

I laughed when Mr. Darcy presented himself to Mildred for the last dance before his final with his wife. It was clear Mildred enjoyed the dance as well. I was certain she had practiced with Miss Darcy or one of her previous charges. She knew the steps and performed them well.

Finally it was the last dance of the evening. Mr. Bennet surprised us all when he escorted his wife onto the dance floor alongside the Darcys, the Gardiners, Mr. Bingley and Jane, and the younger girls with their last partners of the evening. Mrs. Bennet blushed fiercely the whole time, but she performed creditably, perhaps a bit more so than her husband. It was a perfect end to a very pleasant gathering.

The girls chatted happily together on the ride home. They listed their partners as if they had not been together for the entire evening. They commented on the decoration and the strength of the punch. None had taken more than one glass for fear of becoming tipsy and having to leave. I had only taken one glass myself. It was very _strong_ punch. The laughed at the memory of their parents, aunt and uncle all on the dance floor for the final dance. Every detail needed to committed to memory like pearls to be taken out later, strung on a string and admired. I knew they would still be going over the happenings of the evening for days to come. I suspected it would be some time before they could settle down enough to sleep that night.

I could understand. The balls the year I came out had been tainted by that constant sense of being judged and the need to find and impress a potential husband. My dance with Mr. Darcy that evening carried none of those burdens. It was just a dance. I had been asked because the man wanted to please his wife. I wondered if he felt the same release from all the expectations that came with dancing when one was in the marriage mart. Miss Darcy's comments about how little he chose to dance came back to me. For him to agree to dance every dance he _must_ feel free of all that now. Elizabeth was his protection from all the stress.

For myself, I would treasure that dance. My partner was a good man carrying out a good deed. It was not romantic, but it was fun. In fact, it was the most pleasant dance I had ever had.


	19. Chapter 19

As expected, Saturday was given over to remembering the events of the assembly in minute detail. Maria Lucas visited and joined Miss Darcy, Kitty and Lydia in the recitation of events. I insisted they work on embroidery or mending while they talked, but realized the futility of assigning them any other tasks. Beyond the tiny bit of needlework they finished, the only other real accomplishment of the day came when they went up to the nursery to play with the Gardiner children. Miss Maria and Miss Darcy played with Bethany and her doll while Kitty and Lydia each teamed up with one of the boys to play out a mock battle with the toy soldiers. They made the children very happy and enjoyed the time themselves. I felt it was time well spent. Mrs. Gardiner and the children's nurse agreed.

At services the next day I had to remind them a few times to pay attention to the sermon rather than the gossip about the Assembly. They were able to talk with their friends briefly both before and after services, but I expected them to pay attention the rest of the time or at least give the appearance of doing so.

Mr. Bingley and the Darcys followed us back to Longbourn for luncheon and more talk. We were all gathered in the drawing room before the meal when Mrs. Hill announced Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"I stopped at the dower house first," he said, "but Mrs. Evans told me you had come here for luncheon. I hope you have room at the table for one more, Mrs. Bennet. I have been on the road since early this morning and am famished for good food."

"Colonel," said Mrs. Bennet in a somewhat chiding tone, "you know you should not be traveling on Sunday except to services. Still, scamp that you are, I think we have enough to feed you as well."

"Thank you, madam," he said with a bow. "Your generosity is exceeded only by your beauty."

"Here now, colonel," said Mr. Bennet with a mock scowl. "Do stop flirting with my wife. I haven't the silver tongue to compete with your charm."

The colonel bowed to him as well, then gave a quick wink. "As you wish, sir."

We entered the dining room a few minutes later to find that Mrs. Hill had already placed a chair for the colonel. We all sat and the meal began.

I think everyone realized the colonel was not yet ready to discuss the more serious matters from his journey. He was indeed famished if the portions he took were any indication. He asked about the assembly and was able to eat a good bit while listening to all the responses. He expressed his sorrow at missing the sight of his cousin dancing every dance, but was cheerful in his promise to pay the forfeit for losing the bet.

He grew more serious when he learned of Lieutenant Denny's behavior at the card party and the soiree. He agreed Colonel Forster had responded appropriately. Even then, I could tell the incidents still worried him.

After the meal we all returned to the drawing room. As the colonel took a seat the entire company turned as one to look at him expectantly. He looked from person to person, then back at Mr. Darcy.

"So I am reporting to _everyone_?" he said slowly with a questioning tone.

"It would probably be best, Richard," his cousin answered. "It will save the need for most in this room to hear it second hand."

The colonel took another look around the room, then nodded. "Very well, then. I will start with Tuesday morning when the duke and I left Netherfield. We went to the militia camp to retrieve Collins from Colonel Forster's custody. After two days and three nights locked in that tiny back room, even his poor excuse for an intellect was starting to piece together the idea that he might be in a bit of trouble. Of course, a few of the guards _may_ also have suggested he could be hung or transported for trespassing. He seems a cringing, whining sort of man anyway, but when we came in he looked truly pitiful."

He shook his head with an expression of disgust and continued, "Unfortunately he had not yet lost his faith that he was above the law because he was acting on the direction of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I have no idea how she inspired such faith, but Collins is a true believer."

"His father was an idiot as well," put in Mr. Bennet, "with a tendency to fix strongly upon an idea and never let it go no matter what evidence he was given to the contrary."

"Collins has that quality by the bucket full. He was impressed by the duke's rank, but actually took his presence as a compliment, certain that the duke would agree with the dictates of my aunt."

"Was the duke able to change his mind?" asked Mr. Gardiner.

"He certainly enjoyed trying. First he ordered Collins to stand up straight and stop bowing and bobbing like a seabird trying to pick crabs out of the tide flat. 'At least pretend to be a man, you cretin!' he practically shouted at him. The shock on Collins' face was priceless." The colonel laughed at the memory.

"I hauled Collins upright and pressed a hand to his back to keep him straight while the duke told him flat out that no matter _who_ gave the orders or what he had been told, trespassing on private property and intent to kidnap were crimes. Those crimes were punishable by death or transportation. His position as clergyman granted no dispensation and instead made him more culpable, as a clergyman _should know better_. The man began to blubber and moved to bow again, but I thunked him in the back and made him stand straight. The duke went on to tell him that he was blessed that Mr. Bennet had not chosen to press charges as there had been many witnesses who saw and heard Collins thrown out of Longbourn the evening Lady Catherine came and most of them were at the party when Collins was found trespassing. The magistrate had been among them and saw no problem in prosecuting."

"I cannot imagine he showed any gratitude," said Mr. Bennet dryly.

"No, indeed," returned the colonel. "He was shocked enough at being taken to task by a duke that I suspect no words were truly getting through to him. He seemed ready to swoon and it was probably only my hand on his back that was keeping him standing upright." he chuckled.

"The duke went on to tell him he was not out of trouble simply because charges would not be pressed by you, Mr. Bennet. He went on to describe in detail how Collins' behavior departed from the teachings of the church and the likely response of Collins' bishop to the crimes, committed and intended. At this point the man blubbered again 'But Lady Catherine said..." before the duke cut him off with a reminder that Lady Catherine is the not head of the church. She might have provided Collins with the living but only the teachings of the church and the authority of the church leaders should guide his behavior."

"A concept I expect was completely foreign to him." Darcy said with a slight laugh.

"Judging by later whining, the concept did not sink in the first time," Richard said. "The duke finally told Collins that we were returning him to Hunsford as we had business with Lady Catherine. Collins wanted to fall into another bowing fit, but I once again prevented him. The man babbled about gracious condescension and other nonsense which the duke cut off by informing Collins that his hands would be tied and he would be fastened to the side of the carriage to prevent any trouble or attempts to escape during the journey. Collins was clearly confused as to why he might wish to escape or cause trouble, but the duke insisted on tying him up anyway."

"Did you consider a gag as well?" Elizabeth asked.

"It was not part of the original plan, but we ended up using one when it became clear no orders could force Collins into continued silence. If the weather had been a little warmer I think the duke would have simply tied Collins onto the seat with the coachman, although he would have needed a gag there as well. At any rate, we tied his hands and dragged him out to the carriage, shoved him in and fastened his rope to the wall. Collins did ask if we could stop at the inn where he had been staying at the village just south of Meryton so he could pay his bill and collect his bag. It seemed a reasonable enough request that the duke agreed. No point in the innkeeper being out his money when Collins had enough on him to pay."

"I am glad you did," said Bennet. "If Collins mentioned the relationship or Longbourn, the innkeeper might have come after _me_ to pay the bill before too long."

"The innkeeper _had_ already cleaned out the room and was preparing to toss Collins' bag when we stopped. After three nights with no word he had given up on the man returning, although he made allowance at first due to the snow. The duke's footman tied the bag on with the other luggage and we continued on the shortest route to Rosings Park. We put the gag into use not very long thereafter. Every time the duke and I began a topic of discussion Collins wanted to blather his uninformed opinion of the subject. He was told very forcefully to remain silent, but it seemed he just could not. The gag was another shock to him. I expect he would have been quite voluble in his affront if he had been able to speak."

"He was certainly quite voluble in everything else," grumbled Mr. Bennet.

The colonel laughed with the rest of the company and then continued. "After that, the journey was much more pleasant. As I predicted to Miss York the day before, I found it far more comfortable than any other travel I have undertaken recently. I may be fond of my horse, but riding in a well sprung and appointed carriage for a long journey is definitely an improved mode of long distance travel, particularly in winter." He smiled at me.

"We did not discuss any specific plans for our visit in front of Collins, although the duke did enjoy offhand comments about what we might say when we visited the bishop. The worm would squirm at that. He tried to speak around the gag and bobbed and bowed where he sat. The duke and I would look at each other and do our best not to laugh, but sometimes it got the better of us anyway." He chuckled with the company.

"The snow was thick enough that we took the trip gently, with several stops to allow the horses to rest. We did make Rosings before dark. When we reached the house the duke informed Lady Catherine's butler of his name and rank. He went on to say that we would be staying the night and he expected his servants and horses to be well cared for. A demand to speak with Lady Catherine at once followed. The butler gave me an inquiring look, to which I merely responded, 'You heard his grace.' The we walked in as if we owned the place followed by one of the duke's footman leading Collins by the rope tied around his wrists." The colonel broke off here to wait for the laughter at their audacity to subside before he continued.

"Lady Catherine was in her throne room. I had always wondered if she sat there even with no guests to impress. Apparently, she does."

Mr. Darcy broke in with an explanation for those assembled. "Our aunt has a highly ornate gilt-decorated chair in her equally over-ornamented drawing room in which she loves to sit. It is a little higher than all the rest of the furniture, so much that she must use a small footstool in order to gain the height needed to sit in it. The chair resembles a royal throne, so Richard and I have always referred to that room as her throne room."

"She was sitting in that unpleasant room all alone when we arrived. I could tell by her surprise as we walked in unannounced that she had not just gone there to greet or impress us. She imperiously asked what we meant by intruding in her home before she recognized the duke. She lifted an eyebrow at the sight of Collins bound and gagged, but said nothing of it. The duke informed her that we had come on matters of importance and that he and I would be staying the night as the weather was too poor for us to continue on after our interview. I expected her to protest, but she just shrugged as if it made no difference to her. Perhaps our appearance with Collins told her the failure of her plans, but even then I would have expected more resistance from her."

"Aunt Catherine usually has something to say about everything," Miss Darcy put in.

"Precisely. She did not even express indignation at her clergyman arriving bound. She asked us what we had to say and the duke told her that Collins had been discovered in an attempt to kidnap and force his cousin Miss Elizabeth Bennet, now Mrs. Darcy, into an unwanted marriage. Collins, he told her, insisted he was acting on Lady Catherine's orders. She told the duke that was ridiculous. She had no cause to order a kidnapping and if her nephew wished to throw his life away on a scheming fortune hunter when he could have had the heiress to Rosings then he was a fool. Rosings would survive without him. The words were what one would expect from her, but without her usual force and bombast."

"Do you think something is wrong with her?" asked Darcy with concern.

"I could not tell. I would have thought she would expound upon your supposed engagement to her dying day, perhaps even she can see when to accept defeat. It was hardly the reception either the duke or I had planned for. He did go on to tell her, as he had told my father, she should take warning that any further attempts to harm you, me, Georgie or any member of the Bennet family would result in dire consequences instigated by him. She heard him out and said 'I have no need to act against them. They are dead to me.' The glare she gave me at that could have broken stone. The duke told her he was having Collins taken to the parsonage, but we would be visiting Collins' bishop and it was likely he would soon be replaced. The living would probably be removed from her authority to give. She turned her glare on him at that, but spoke nothing further to either of us. She just sat on that throne as if nothing in the world mattered."

"Strange," whispered Mr. Darcy.

"Very strange," agreed the colonel. "We left her there. The duke told his footman to accompany Collins back to the parsonage. He allowed that Collins could be untied and the gag removed once they stepped outside, but he warned Collins to stay put in his home and not attempt anything further. Collins had seemed overwrought when Lady Catherine denied giving him instructions to act as he had. He simply nodded glumly at the duke and did not even try to talk around the gag, although he simply could not help a few parting bows and bobs of the head." The colonel stopped here for a moment.

"Did you speak with Anne?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"I asked for her. I was told she had not been feeling particularly well of late and had already retired. The duke and I went to the rooms assigned to us after requesting trays be brought up with dinner. I must say he has no trouble ordering other people's servants around," the colonel laughed. "I probably would have just snuck into the kitchen and filched something to eat instead of ordering a tray. You know how Lady Catherine hates for us to do that." Mr. Darcy nodded.

"We did not speak to Lady Catherine again. We left early the next morning, after having breakfast trays sent up, mind. The duke had gotten the name of Collins' bishop from one of the upper staff and he had a good idea of where to go next, although Bishop Parkhust might have been in a few other locations as well. I sent Will and Bingley notes before we left Rosings."

"We appreciated knowing you were safe," Mr. Bingley said. The colonel nodded.

"The ride that day was much more pleasant since we no longer had the damper of Collins' presence. The duke is an amusing conversationalist, in addition to being an intelligent and insightful man. We covered a wide variety of topics in our drive to Bishop Parkhurst's family home in Lewes. He told me some interesting stories from his tenure as Vice President and later President of the Board of Trade. He is also very up to date on the latest military operations on the continent so we enjoyed several lighthearted debates on policy."

"Was the bishop at Lewes?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

"Unfortunately, he was not, contrary to his usual habit near the Christmas season. We learned that he was visiting family in London. The bishop's household staff were kind enough to offer the hospitality of his home to the duke for the night. I was included by association. We were offered good food and comfortable rooms. Another benefit to traveling with a duke, I would say."

"Did they give you his direction?" asked Miss Darcy.

"They even offered to send an express to let him know we were planning to visit. Very helpful folks. They might even have helped me without the duke present. We set off the next morning on our way to London. With what remains of the snow the roads were not great, so we did have to stop for the night before we made it to London. The duke was all for pushing on, but his driver strongly advised against it. We reached London on Friday afternoon, but it took a little while to track down the bishop. We did not actually speak with him until yesterday morning. I did enjoy the night at the duke's London home. When we met the bishop, the duke gave him the full story of Collins' behavior and I added details of his earlier visit to Longbourn. To say the bishop was not pleased is an understatement. He knew Collins was not particularly bright, but had not realized he would be so far gone as to commit crimes at the behest of his 'noble patroness'."

"What did the bishop decide to do?" Mr. Bennet queried.

"He told us he would need to speak with his superior and that they would need to complete an investigation including an interview with Collins. While that took place he did not wish Collins to fulfill the duties of his office and would insist the curate from the neighboring parish, who occasionally covered for the Hunsford parish duties, handle those instead. He prepared a letter for both Collins and the curate, which I offered to deliver. I told him I would speak with Lady Catherine to ensure she did not override the orders. The bishop prepared a letter for her as well. It seems likely she will lose the gift of Hunsford by the time the investigation is complete. I rode for Rosings, stopping on the way to speak with the curate, so he would have time to prepare to deliver services at Hunsford the next morning. I then gave Collins the news of his suspension by way of the bishop's note. I had hoped to spend that night at Rosings, but the butler told me Lady Catherine gave strict orders that I was not to enter the house again, nor may you, Will."

"I do not consider that a very unpleasant punishment," said Mr. Darcy with a smile. "I do fear for the state of Anne's inheritance, though, if no one oversees Lady Catherine's finances in future."

"We will have to see how that works out. I left the bishop's note with the butler, being sure to inform him it was not from me or you. He told me he would not mention the identity of the messenger when he delivered it. I got back on my horse and headed this way, but had to stop for the night in what turned out to be a rather noisy and uncomfortable inn. At least my horse was not stolen during the night, but any chance of good sleep certainly was. The breakfast was inedible, so I was very hungry when I got here. Thank you, Mrs. Bennet, for an excellent meal." He stood and bowed to Mrs. Bennet.

She told him he was quite welcome to it. The colonel sat again and fielded questions from the other gentlemen regarding specific details of his trip. The discussion lasted until tea time.

* * *

 _AN: Well, the colonel is back and you all finally got the confrontation with Lady C, I hope you all enjoyed the extra long chapter. Stay tuned for Christmas and more fun and games before Twelfth Night._


	20. Chapter 20

I was glad the colonel had given his report to the whole family at once. I had been curious and preferred to hear his results first hand. Certainly he had earned the right to relax for a few days after all that travel. The duke's willingness to go to all that effort truly impressed me. He clearly felt strongly about both justice and the threats to his godson. I was sure I would enjoy playing chess against him. It had been awhile, but I still remembered all my father taught me about the game. I hoped I would be a worthy opponent.

After the discussion about Mr. Collins ended, Mr. Bingley spoke up to say he had received a letter from Sir Howard Curlow sending Christmas greetings and news of how Lady Curlow was settling in her new home.

"Sir Howard writes that my sister is enjoying her place as the woman of highest status in the neighborhood." Mr. Bingley told us.

"No surprise there," said the colonel. "That was one of the original points that convinced her to the marriage."

"True enough," replied Mr. Bingley, "but he also said that Caroline has greatly toned down her haughty and disdainful manner. On the trip to Dorset he reminded her more than once that these were the people with whom she would be associating the rest of her life. They would be her company and her best opportunity for friends close by. If she chose to offend them at the start it would probably end up being a very lonely life. She appears to have taken his words to heart."

"She would not want her neighbors to hate her," said Jane sweetly. "I am sure Lady Curlow can be very pleasant if she puts her mind to it." She was a bit surprised at the general laughter her comment inspired.

"I do not know if she can be pleasant," said Mr. Bingley, "but she is trying." I could see nearly everyone took the double meaning of his last statement, for the laughter continued.

"My sister has also had her first exposure to limited finances and budgeting," he added. "Shortly after their arrival at the estate he took her with him when he went to the nearby villages to pay off the debts his brother had left with local merchants. He introduced his new wife, but did not set lines of credit for her. He insisted that their household would pay cash for all purchases, which pleased the merchants after years of promises and late payments from his family. He gave Caroline the first installment of her decorating allowance soon after and she eagerly headed to the shops. Once she saw how little that money would purchase she came back empty-handed, determined to carefully think through her plans before buying."

"We now know how that feels, do we not, Kitty?" said Lydia. Several people in the room looked at her in surprise, but Mildred and I just nodded at each other. Mr. Bennet caught my eye and winked.

"Yes," answered Kitty, "It was hard shopping when we had to weigh the value of each penny against what we wanted to buy."

"It is a good lesson for you girls to learn now, before you have households to run," said Mrs. Gardiner. "How do you think your sister will cope, Mr. Bingley?"

"Sir Howard says she seems resigned. Caroline is intelligent, although her behavior has not always reflected that. I think once she sets her mind to it she will be very capable of managing a budget. I am afraid I indulged her, just as our parents did, and let her overspend without consequences. Marriage to Sir Howard will be good for her."

"What of the Hursts?" asked Mr. Darcy. "Have they found a place to live after their allowed time at your townhouse is up?"

"I do not know how hard they are looking. They have sent a few letters asking me to reconsider, but I have responded that my time limit still stands. I gave them one week after twelfth night. If they are not out by January 13th I will personally come to town and throw them out. I have warned them and have even had my solicitor warn them that any attempt to stay beyond that time will be considered trespassing. That shocked them both. Hurst really can afford a town home or even the lease of a small country home. His parents send him a reasonable allowance. He will find something for them or they will be spending some time in a hotel. It is always possible that without Caroline his parents might relent and allow them back in their home as well."

I thought Mr. Bingley sounded most unlucky in his sisters. Lady Curlow clearly had a man of strong character for her husband and might improve, but what I had heard of Mr. Hurst did not inspire confidence in his ability to guide or improve an unpleasant wife.

Lydia could easily have become a similar problem. I was thankful to have the opportunity to help her learn to control herself. If she had run off with a soldier or been trapped into marriage with a weak-willed man she would have been miserable and have never learned what she needed to reach her true potential. She was not there yet, but was definitely traveling down the correct path. I had hope for her.

Despite my hopes and my wish to bring both girls along quickly, I recognized the futility of having more lessons that day or in the next few days. I conferred with Mildred and she agreed. We told the three girls they had earned a holiday from that point through Boxing Day. We made the stipulation they must continue to behave well and we also insisted that if they were sitting and talking they would also be working on mending, sewing or embroidery. No idle hands would be allowed.

They accepted their holiday with joy and agreed to our terms. They wen to bed Sunday night looking forward to four days without regular lessons.

The Darcys, the colonel and Mr. Bingley joined us again on Monday to help gather and put up more greenery to decorate the Bennet home. The Gardiner children were allowed downstairs to help. The three men took young Edward and Franklin Gardiner out with them to find the greenery. Elizabeth joined them as well. She had the best knowledge of all the paths around Longbourn and knew where to find the best sources of decorative greenery, even under the snow.

I enjoyed watching them go from the drawing room window. The colonel and Mr. Darcy each had a boy on their shoulders and were galloping like ponies in a mock race while Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley laughed and encouraged both steeds. I saw Mrs. Gardiner look a little worried at their play, but she trusted the men to take care of her sons and kept silent.

Jane and Lydia sat with Bethany and helped her make a ribbon bonnet for her favorite doll from some bits and scraps of notions Lydia had brought down. Using a few scraps of lace fabric and some narrow ribbon Lydia quickly stitched up a tiny pinafore the doll could wear. I think the little girl loved the attention from her cousins as much as the new bonnet and pinafore.

Kitty still insisted on her chess lesson with her father. I believed they were both enjoying the time together. The colonel had brought notes for Mr. Bennet and me with the next moves in our respective games with the Duke of Montrose and I had given Mr. Bennet my reply to be enclosed with his. I was looking forward to seeing how the game progressed.

Miss Darcy sat in the drawing room and conversed with Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Bennet while working on her stitching. Mrs. Gardiner had many stories of the area near Pemberley from when Miss Darcy's mother was alive. Mrs. Bennet chatted happily with them both about Christmases past. Mildred had embroidery of her own to work on and I had finally switched to knitting, having finished nearly all the mending in the basket. Especially in winter, one could never have too many pairs of stockings.

The gatherers eventually came back with armloads of of evergreen boughs and Elizabeth carried a basket full of mistletoe. Flurries had begun to fill the air again while they were out, much to the delight of the boys, who were hoping for a snowball fight later on. The snow had settled on them while they returned. They had to leave their finds in piles by the door while they stomped the snow from their feet and took off their damp outer clothing. The boy Teddy had joined them at some point and he and the Gardiner boys seemed to be good friends. Once Mrs. Hill pronounced them all fit to be inside they entered on a wave of laughing chatter. We all had tea, which gave them a chance to warm back up after their expedition.

Once tea was over the decorating fun began. Mr. Darcy, the colonel and Mr. Bingley, all being tall men, did the hanging while the women, led by Mrs. Bennet, directed the placement of the boughs. The three boys, for Teddy had stayed with them, carried boughs one by one from the piles to be used in the decorating.

Elizabeth collaborated with Lydia in making three kissing balls of mistletoe, using more of Lydia's ribbon scraps and notions for decorations. A beautiful silver bell, which Elizabeth had brought from the dower house, was attached to the bottom of one of the kissing balls. The bell was one of a set that belonged to Mr. Darcy's mother and had been used to decorate his home for Christmas for as long as he could remember. Elizabeth told us there were five others hung around the dower house, but since they would be spending Christmas Day at Longbourn she felt at least one should have a place at the celebration. It would give both Mr. and Miss Darcy a little piece of home.

Mrs. Bennet opened the doors to the music room and asked if Mildred and I would play some Christmas songs while everyone worked. We were happy to comply and took turns playing 3 or 4 songs each time. The family sang along with several of the Christmas carols.

I was sorry Mary and the doctor were missing out on this part of the fun. They had not planned to arrive until the next day, Christmas Eve, and would be staying at Netherfield during their short visit. It was a complete surprise to everyone when they walked into the midst of the joyful chaos. Miss Darcy saw them first and her cheerful welcome alerted everyone else. All decorating stopped while the family gathered around to greet Dr. and Mrs. Burrows.

"I just knew you would be decorating today," Mary said with a laugh, "so I begged Daniel to bring us a day early. Here we are, ready to join in the fun."

Mary seemed to have matured in the week since the wedding and yet she also seemed happier than ever. Like Elizabeth since the wedding, there seemed to be a joyful glow about her features. Mr. Darcy was also not the only besotted husband in the room. The doctor seemed ready to pull down the stars as decorations if Mary wished it. A little thing like coming to Hertfordshire a day early was nothing to that.

The kissing balls were hung after much deliberation over their placement. The one with the bell graced a spot near the door to the drawing room. It seemed everyone wanted to follow the Darcy tradition of ringing the bell as one walked under it. Both Mr. Darcy and Dr. Burrows took the excuse to kiss their wives. Mr. Gardiner pulled his wife under one of the balls of mistletoe and kissed her soundly. Even Mr. Bennet got in on the fun. He reached up to ring the bell, then caught Mrs. Bennet by the arm and pulled her close for a kiss amidst clapping and laughter.

Even I was caught, walking out of the music room under one of the newly hung decorations. The colonel claimed a quick kiss on my cheek, then pocketed one of the little white berries. He winked at me before walking off to claim a biscuit from the tray Mrs. Hill had just brought in. I stepped off to the side, trying not to grin like an idiot over that friendly little peck. I found it very hard to hide my joy. He kissed me!


	21. Chapter 21

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day passed by in a happy blur. I had never been part of such a big, lively, family group before. My parents always kept the holidays very simple and while the Thompsons entertained, they were a small family unit. This, most certainly, was not. Mildred and I sat to the side, not wanting to intrude, but were pulled into the merriment and treated as part of the family anyway.

The five Bennet daughters and their Darcy sister radiated delight at being all together. Mary told them about her new home. She assured everyone it was a comfortable house in a pleasant neighborhood. She did laugh when she said the doctor had not completely been joking the day of the inventory party when he said he had only bothered to decorate his study and consulting room. While not completely empty, the decoration of the other public rooms was better described as understated than elegant. She planned to take her time and slowly bring the elegance into all the fittings. Mrs. Bennet could not quite understand why she did not want to decorate everything at once, and Lydia looked like she could agree with her mother. The others all just nodded their support of Mary. Mrs. Gardiner happily consented to spend some time window shopping with Mary after the New Year to help her plan and gather new ideas as well as point her to the shops where she could find the best deals.

The neighbors also joined into the fun as several of them dropped by for short visits sharing good wishes for the holiday. Lady Anne Darcy's bell rang frequently as each newcomer admired it. The bell often proved the bait for a kiss under the mistletoe. The other sisters teased Jane for her tendency to drift towards one of the three mistletoe balls whenever Mr. Bingley entered the room, prompting him to make good use of the excuse. She just smiled her serene smile coupled with an Elizabeth-style raise of the eyebrow when teased. No words were needed as far she was concerned.

The Gardiner boys and Teddy finally got their snowball fight in the new crisp layer of snow that had fallen since their quest for greenery the day before. Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam joined them while the doctor laughed from the entry way. It started as the boys against the men, but they quickly shifted to have one of the men partner with each of the boys for a three way battle. Mr. Darcy and Teddy made a good showing, while Mr. Bingley and Edward spent as much time falling in the snow while laughing as they did throwing snowballs. It was the Colonel and Franklin who approached the task with carefully executed battle plans and sneak attacks on the other team. Although the colonel claimed victory, no one won and no one lost. They just had fun.

It was a good thing all three men had brought a change of clothing. Mrs. Hill would not even let them in the front door when the battle was done. All six combatants, red-faced from the cold and covered head to toe in snow, were shooed around to the kitchen door to remove and shake out their outer clothes,. She sent them up the back stairs to make use of a room in which to wash up and change, the three men to a guest room and the three boys to the nursery. All six rejoined the company later to partake of hot drinks, biscuits and other treats and tales of their great victories in the side garden.

I found amusement seeing the colonel playing with the boys. I had watched the battle from a window in the music room while I knitted. The colonel spotted me at one point and waved, earning a snowball in the face from Teddy for his temporary inattention to his opponents. He took it in stride, wiping his face clean, then giving me a wink before scooping up a clump of snow to throw back at his attacker. I still recognized the unlikelihood of any serious attachment, but I knew I would miss seeing him after he returned to his regiment in just two weeks. Miss Darcy had told us he had leave only through Twelfth Night. His next winter battle could be on the continent with Napoleon's troops instead of a lark with his cousin, his friend and three young boys.

Mrs. Bennet was delighted when her mince pies made it safely to the table at dinner on Christmas Eve. She was justly proud of her family recipe. The pie was delicious. Everyone complimented her on its excellence while being kind enough not to upset her with mention of either Mr. Collins or Sir William Lucas. Even Mr. Bennet refrained from making jokes on the matter. She beamed when Mr. Darcy asked if she would share the recipe. with his cook at Pemberley.

"Truly, Mother Bennet, this is better than any mince pie I have ever been served at Pemberley," he told her.

"I understand the recipe was passed down in our mother's family for generations, although I am not sure how Fanny came by it after our mother's early death," said Mr. Gardiner. "I remember our father mentioning it for several Christmases after she was gone."

"Oh, I found several of Mother's recipes in an old trunk of hers. I have enjoyed using them over the years," said Mrs. Bennet.

"She shared them with me," Mrs. Phillips added, "but my mince pie has never turned out as well as hers. I think she has the more skilled cook."

"I am glad we can all enjoy it here together," Colonel Fitzwilliam put in. "I cannot remember a happier Christmas Eve in my life. Thank you all for allowing me to join you."

"You are always welcome," Mrs. Bennet assured him. "You are a cousin now and part of the family."

I had to agree with the colonel's assessment that this was a very happy Christmas Eve. At the same time I found his statement sad. He still had a father and brother living, but no one he felt like calling family outside the people currently gathered around the table. I took another look at each of the smiling faces and said a prayer of gratitude that both he and I were part of this Bennet and related families Christmas.

0o0o0

The church was packed full for Christmas services the next morning. It felt like everyone in Meryton was there to celebrate the holy day in company. We all worshiped together in prayer and song. After the service the air was filled with the sound of happy greetings and good wishes. I had never experienced the like in London or at Stone Landing. While the Christmas services in town were always well-attended, they lacked the camaraderie I felt this day.

"So this is what it feels to be part of a community," said the colonel softly, almost in echo to my own thoughts, as he came to stand beside me. "London is too big to draw people together and my family always felt too far above their neighbors to be part of something like this. What about your family?"

"Stone Landing was isolated and my father liked it that way. The local vicar came to us after he preformed the services in the village. We worshiped in our private chapel and then hosted him for a Christmas meal in thanks. Is the celebration at Pemberley anything like this?"

"If my aunt, Lady Anne, had lived it could have been. Unlike my father or Aunt Catherine, Lady Anne took an interest in the people around her and treated them all as her fellows, regardless of status. After her death my uncle withdrew from the world. Will and Georgie have never really known how to join. I think Elizabeth will bring something of this Meryton spirit with her. Pemberley and the villages around it will never be the same once she has taken an interest in them. Look at my cousin, there, greeting these people by name. I hardly recognize him from the shy, withdrawn man he was a year ago. That is Elizabeth's influence."

"Will you be sorry to leave Meryton next month?" I asked him.

He gave me a long look and a sad smile. "Yes," was all he said. We briefly stood together in silence, an island in a sea of cheerful noise. Then Colonel Forster walked up to greet Colonel Fitzwilliam and drew him away to a nearby group of soldiers.

Miss Lucas joined me. We spoke of the upcoming week and made plans to walk with the younger girls back to the village on Friday for a little more shopping. We agreed to meet at the turn to Lucas Lodge at around eleven that morning. I saw a red coat out of the corner of my eye and thought the colonel had come back, but it was another soldier, one I did not recognize, who was simply walking by us.

I thought about our conversation and that look he gave me. I was not sure if it helped to know he felt some attraction for me as I did for him. I decided to enjoy whatever of his company I could and worry about the inevitable parting later.

Eventually the crowd broke into family groups and began to head to their homes. Our group had come in what seemed like a parade of carriages. Several of us decided to walk back, a group headed by Elizabeth, who was well known as a great walker. Jane, Mr. Bingley, Kitty, Lydia, Miss Darcy and I joined Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy on the walk. Mildred opted to return in the carriage with Mrs. Bennet and some of the others. I had hoped the colonel might accompany us, but he remained in Meryton for a time to speak with Colonel Forster on some military issues. He did promise he would arrive in time for Christmas dinner.

We had a merry walk back in the frosty cold. Elizabeth set a brisk pace, but we all kept up. We crunched along in the latest layer of snowfall while a few errant flakes danced around us.

"I am sorry Richard could not join us," said Miss Darcy to me as we walked. "He is such good company."

"I agree," I told her, "but you know he might have turned this walk into a forced march and ended it with a barrage of snowballs."

She laughed at that, "It would not be the first time. Although it is usually only Will he hits with sneak attacks. He tends to be more chivalrous to the ladies."

"He is a gentleman, after all, chivalry should be expected." I answered lightly. I felt uncomfortably like the subject of an attempt at matchmaking. Fortunately Lydia distracted Miss Darcy with a question and the subject dropped.

Mrs. Hill met us at the door and insisted we remove our wet outer clothes and use some old cloth she provided to dry our shoes enough to go upstairs and change without making a mess. Longbourn's servants had attended services as well, but they left before our group had so they could continue their preparations for the evening meal. I am sure Mrs. Hill expected Elizabeth to lead a group of walkers, so she was ready for us to arrive as we did.

The rest of our party, minus the colonel, arrived soon after us. I returned to my seat in a corner of the drawing room to knit while enjoying the pleasant company around me. Mildred joined me and continued her embroidery project. We watched approvingly as the young ladies picked up their own hand work as they sat to chat about the walk home and the people they had spoken with after the services. They kept their agreement with us very well. While the joyful season encouraged noise, they had not exceeded a reasonable level and I had seen no wild or excessive behaviors.

The colonel did finally arrive shortly before the Christmas dinner was served. He looked more solemn than I would have expected. I hoped there had been no trouble at the camp or any change of orders that would cause him to leave Meryton early. He did not seem inclined to discuss his subdued mood, so I did not question him. It did not seem the time for quiet chats.

Dinner was superb. I think the cook may have been trying to outdo her success from the previous day's meal. At any rate, it was tasty and well served. What more could one ask?

The younger children had been allowed downstairs for the Christmas dinner and Teddy joined them at the request of the Gardiner boys and Mr. Darcy. Little Bethany sat between her mother and her cousin, Jane. They made sure she was not overwhelmed by the company. The three boys sat together, with Mr. Darcy and the colonel on either side to help keep them in order. Mr. Bingley would have joined them, but they were a little too far down the table from Jane and he preferred to sit by her side when he could.

There were two plum puddings, brought out in great state and enjoyed by all. The gentlemen offered toasts with wishes of good fortune embedded within them and thanks for the meal and the presence of family. Later that evening the more adventurous souls played Snapdragon, pulling bits of brandy-soaked fruit from the alcohol-fueled flames that flickered over the tray. I was not surprised to find Lydia and Elizabeth very skilled at the game. Miss Darcy had not played before, but she was willing to try and enjoyed popping a few hot raisins in her mouth. The three boys had more fun watching the flames than trying to get the fruit. They cheered the others on and laughed when someone put out their hand then drew back in fear.

Eventually the children started to yawn and the adults decided it was time to break up the party. Mrs. Hill collected Teddy and Mrs. Gardiner led her three up to the nursery. Mr. Bingley called for his carriage, which would take him, Dr. and Mrs. Burrows and the colonel back to Netherfield. In the midst of the hugs and good night wishes I received a small gift of my own. I had moved to head out through the music room when I sensed someone beside me. The colonel had drawn near. He took my hand and gently tugged me over to the nearest mistletoe ball. He leaned in to kiss my cheek once again.

"Happy Christmas," he said. He gave my hand a light squeeze then let go and walked away to join the others heading to Netherfield.

"Happy Christmas," I said to his retreating form. It was, indeed, a happy Christmas.


	22. Chapter 22

Boxing day was a quiet breath after all the noise and hustle of Christmas. The cook and kitchen staff had prepared cold meals for us the night before, with plenty of the leftovers from the Christmas dinner included. The servants all had the day off to spend as they wished. I supposed that included me, but I really had no other place I could go or anything I preferred to be doing than join the family in the drawing room and tend to my knitting while they visited and worked on whatever projects they kept to hand.

Lydia asked to look through the book of needlework patterns I had purchased in Meryton. We sat and looked at it together so I could help her with any difficult words as she read about the many types of needle arts. It was a fascinating book with bits of historical detail, explanations of technique, illustrations of the finished stitches and project suggestions. We were both fascinated by the variety of results that could be achieved from knowing how to manipulate a needle and thread. Lydia particularly liked the possibilities of some pulled work patterns she had not seen before. She hoped to get a few small lengths of fabric with the appropriate weave to learn on when we went to the village the following day.

Well-bundled in our warmest clothes, we set out in good cheer Friday morning. Kitty and Lydia had received small gifts of money from their Uncle Phillips and their father along with a variety of more tangible presents. Kitty and Lydia chatted with Miss Darcy about how to use their funds to best advantage. From snips of conversation I overheard it became clear that the Mr. Bingley's comments about his sister had an effect. Kitty and Lydia wanted to prove themselves at least as intelligent as Lady Curlow when it came to managing a limited budget.

I would have to share that bit of news with Mildred on our return. It might cheer her up. Our walk in the snow and the trip to and from Christmas services had given her a bit of a chill. She was tucked up warmly in the drawing room being served with hot drinks from Mrs. Bennet and good conversation from Mrs. Gardiner. The girls had told her to rest and recover while promising to behave well on the excursion. With Miss Lucas joining us before we reached the village the four younger ladies would be sufficiently well-accompanied.

As we reached the turn to Lucas Lodge we saw Miss Lucas and Miss Maria waiting for us. They were also warmly wrapped and ready for the snowy walk.

"Charlotte! Maria!" Lydia greeted them cheerfully as we came up. "I am so glad you are going with us. Mrs. Annesley was feeling poorly and stayed behind to rest. If you were not coming with us I doubt Miss York would let us go today."

"I am glad we can be of such service," said Miss Lucas a bit tartly.

"Oh, I don't mean just that," said Lydia. "We are always glad for your company. It is just helpful that you are so sensible that Miss York trusts you to watch we four silly young things."

Miss Maria laughed. "Now I suppose _I_ should be insulted at being included in the roster of silliness."

"Well we must give the sensible ones like Charlotte and Miss York a chance to be recognized by contrast," Kitty told her.

Miss Lucas and I rolled our eyes at each other as we stepped back to let the four younger ladies walk together and engage in more silly conversation.

"Miss York," she said to me, "I have come to consider you a friend. Perhaps you would address me as Charlotte like the others do."

"I welcome your friendship. Please call me Sophia."

"Is Mrs. Annesley very ill?"

"She has a slight headache and is sneezing and sniffling a bit. She wanted to come along anyway, but we all insisted that she stay behind and keep warm. Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner are looking after her. If she becomes any worse I sure Mrs. Gardiner will send her off to bed and call the apothecary if needed."

"Mrs. Gardiner is one the sensible ones as well," she chuckled.

"Both sensible and kind. Mrs. Bennet is very kind as well. She fussed around Mildred all morning offering hot drinks and making sure her shawl was warm enough. We really have been treated like members of the family at Longbourn."

"I suppose if one must be in service that is a good situation to have. If I do not marry soon I may have to become a governess or companion myself. I would hope to have similar good fortune."

"I do not believe Elizabeth will fail you during your trip to Derbyshire. She will enlist her husband's assistance and _he_ would certainly never fail _her._ "

She chuckled, "I do not imagine that he would."

We walked on, discussing the events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I did not share my moments under the mistletoe, but I did give an account of the three way snow battle. Charlotte laughed at the image of the three grown men playing with and like the three young boys.

"I understand Mr. Darcy has grown very fond of Teddy," she said as she recovered from her fit of laughter.

"They certainly enjoyed their games together. I have been told he made financial provisions for Teddy's future, but I do not know what arrangements were made."

"Mr. Bennet has been well-repaid for his kindness in allowing Teddy to live at Longbourn after the deaths of his parents. Miss Darcy and Eliza could have been hurt more severely or even killed had Teddy not helped fight off Mr. Wickham."

"I consider the Bennets among the kindest people I have met. I am glad some of that kindness came back to help them."

We had reached Meryton by this time. The four young ladies headed to the first of the shops they wished to visit, leaving Charlotte and me to follow. The draper and dressmaker, being husband and wife, shared a shop. I had met them at Mrs. Phillips' Christmas tea party and found them both intelligent people and good conversationalists. Mr. Hanford, the draper, helped Lydia find the right loose weave fabric to use while learning the pulled work stitches. She would be able to use fabric of a finer weave later when she became skilled at the technique, but for now a heavier fabric with a coarser weave would do best. He cut the length she requested and she paid for her purchase. Trying to keep herself from being tempted to buy more, she stood close to the door while Kitty, Miss Darcy and Miss Maria each purchased their own fabric to be cut, hemmed, embroidered and trimmed for handkerchiefs.

Our purchases complete, we headed to the door, while Lydia led the way several paces in front of us. I stepped out of the shop to find our way blocked by a small group of soldiers seemingly loitering aimlessly by the door, but that was only the appearance of things.

I looked for Lydia, but could not see around them. Time seemed to slow down although many things happened at once. The soldiers kept shifting to block our paths. We were having trouble even getting out of the shop. Then I heard two almost simultaneous angry shouts, one from a man and one I recognized as Lydia. Worry over what might be happening gave me strength and I shoved the man in front of me, stomping on one of his feet as I pushed past. Once clear I could see no sign of Lydia on the street. I ran to the nearest alley and hoped she would be there.

I turned the corner into the alley to find Lydia struggling with Lieutenant Denny. He had pinned her against the wall with his body and a rough hand at her throat. His other hand was tangled in her hair as he pulled her head back. He attempted to force a kiss on her, but she pushed her head forward and butted at him, catching him on the chin and causing him to bite his own lip. He cursed and grabbed at her hair again.

I reached him and worked to pry the fingers of the hand at her throat away even as I kicked at his shins. Charlotte came up behind me and punched him in the back, then grabbed at the his other hand pulling it away from Lydia, who continued to struggle against him as well.

Suddenly another man came up behind us. He took Lieutenant Denny by the back of the collar and yanked him away from Lydia. Charlotte and I let go as the other man, another soldier, dragged the lieutenant a little ways away, then punched him in the stomach before pushing him to the ground.

Charlotte and I tried to see if Lydia was hurt, but she brushed us aside angrily. She stomped to where Lieutenant Denny lay and kicked his hip. She was aiming another kick at him when two more soldiers came into the alley and stepped between her and the fallen man. They grabbed him by the arms and hauled him upright. The first soldier turned to us.

"I apologize for the trouble, ladies," he said with a bow. "I am Lieutenant Andrews. I was assigned to watch Lieutenant Denny today, but he eluded me when Captain Carter and another officer claimed my attention. There seems to have been a plan several of the men enacted today. I think they knew you would be in the village and when."

"The soldier I saw walk by us when we planned this excursion, Charlotte. He must have heard our plans and told the others." She nodded agreement with my theory.

"Are any of you ladies injured?" Lieutenant Andrews asked, ignoring the continued swearing coming from the direction of the prisoner.

Charlotte and I looked at Lydia. "Oh, I have a few bruises," she said fiercely, "but I gave him a few as well, and bit his hand for good measure." We could see the blood from the bite on the lieutenant's hand now that we looked. He called Lydia more vile names. The two men holding him dragged him from the alley and away towards the camp.

Lieutenant Andrews escorted us back to the street as well. "We will identify the others who helped Denny and they will all be reported to Colonel Forster. The colonel had hoped to prevent any incident like this. Would you like an escort to your home?"

"No," said Lydia firmly. "We came here for a shopping trip and have only been able to make one stop. I will not allow this to spoil our time. I do need someone to help find my package. I dropped it when _Lieutenant_ Denny grabbed me."

"Thank you for the offer, Lieutenant Andrews," I said politely. "As long as the other soldiers are under control we should be fine. We will remain in a group until we reach Longbourn."

"Is it just the three of you?" he asked.

"No," said Charlotte. "I told the other three members of our party to remain in the draper's shop. Mr. Hanford will have kept them from harm."

The lieutenant helped us search the street outside the shop until we found Lydia's package. It had been trampled in a snowdrift and the fabric was ruined. Lieutenant Andrews insisted on replacing her purchase. He entered the draper's with us to pay for another length of the cloth. Kitty, Miss Darcy and Miss Maria gathered around Lydia asking for details of what had happened.

"I stepped out of the shop," she told them, "and found myself surrounded by a group of soldiers. I tried to turn back, but they cut me off and then Lieutenant Denny wrapped one hand around my mouth and the other around my waist as he picked me up and carried me off to the alley. I kicked at him and struggled, but he kept tight hold until I bit his hand. He yelped at that, I can tell you. Then he grabbed me by the throat and shoved me up against the wall. I do not know what he would have done if Miss York and Charlotte had not come to pull him off me. Then Lieutenant Andrews came to help as well."

"Will those rascals be dealt with, Lieutenant?" asked Mr. Hanford.

"Colonel Forster will see them, sir." the lieutenant answered. "He has warned the men not to bother any of the young ladies of this town and the Bennet ladies in particular. I am truly sorry about this."

"We are grateful for your assistance," said Charlotte. "Miss York and I could have pulled him away from Lydia, but we had no way to deal with him after that. Your arrival was very timely."

"My pleasure, Miss," he said with a bow. "Are you sure you do not wish an escort?"

"I believe we will be fine. Please let your colonel know we are grateful for your help," I told him. He bowed again to each of us and left.

"Well, I guess the soldiers are a mixed lot, both good and bad, just like us civilians. He seemed a pleasant enough young man," said Mr. Hanford. He had measured out and folded up another length of fabric for Lydia and handed it to her now. "You just be careful, Miss Lydia. I do not want to see any of you young ladies getting hurt."

Lydia took her package and after thanking him, she assured Mr. Hanford she would be careful. We left his shop and headed off to our next planned stop, this time without red-coated interference. Other shopkeepers had noticed the fuss and seen Lieutenant Denny dragged away. They came to their doors to ask after Lydia and make sure we were unharmed. We gave assurances as we walked on our way.

We eventually finished the other three shopping stops and finished up at the confectioner's shop. Lydia's anger had ebbed and she did now appear somewhat shaken by the experience earlier. At the same time, she was clearly determined to enjoy the outing. I did my best not to fuss over her, although Charlotte and I both kept a close watch. I knew Mr. Bennet would not be happy when I told him of the day's events. At least Lydia had suffered no lasting harm and the ones responsible would be dealt with by Colonel Forster.

We ate our treats while the younger girls talked over their purchases and the projects they planned to complete. Charlotte and I sat to the side and quietly discussed the earlier events.

"Lieutenant Andrews is a fine looking man," Charlotte said thoughtfully, "I wonder if has any prospects outside the militia?"

"I thought you were headed to Derbyshire to find a husband," I teased.

"It does no harm to wonder," she replied with a grin. "I have not seen him around, so either he is new to the unit or he attends to his duties unlike some of the others we need not name."

"Perhaps we can find out more about him from Colonel Fitzwilliam," I suggested.

"Another handsome man," she said with a smile.

"You will hear no argument from me on that point."

"He stares at you a great deal. I have also noticed he likes to stand nearby and listen when you speak with other people. I think he might like you."

"You may be right," I admitted without volunteering any further information. I brought up a different subject and Charlotte was willing to let the matter pass. We passed the rest of the time in the shop in easy conversation until the younger ladies were ready to return home.


	23. Chapter 23

Mr. Bennet _was_ livid when he heard of the attack on Lydia. Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Darcy, who had all been in the study with him while reviewing the finalized version of Mr. Bennet's will before signing, were equally so.

"How could this happen? In full daylight on the main street of the village, no less!" Mr. Bennet ranted.

"I am sorry, sir.." I began, almost in tears, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"No, Miss York, I do not blame you. This is Meryton, not London. They should have been safe! It is just like the attack by Wickham on Longbourn's grounds!"

"You did not see them nearby when you went into the store?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"No, I looked. There always seem to be some of the soldiers hanging around the street and I have been watching out for them. When we went in I saw only one, a bit further along, by the bookstore."

"He must have been watching for you if they knew you were to visit the village that morning."

"If the soldier I saw when Miss Lucas and I were making our plans after services on Christmas Day _was_ listening to us they knew exactly when we would be there, Mr. Darcy. Lieutenant Andrews said this appeared to be a group effort and Captain Carter and another officer deliberately distracted him from following Lieutenant Denny at the time of the attack."

"I have seen those little groups of soldiers on the streets of Meryton. It always seems to be the same ones, yet I thought Colonel Forster had them rotating duties and doing training."

"That is true, Phillips, but my cousin says there are always some men who figure out a way to neglect their duties. Richard had mentioned the problem to Colonel Forster, but just as with the attack, several of them seem to be working together to cover their activities or lack thereof."

"We need to speak with Colonel Forster about this incident. While this Lieutenant Andrews will probably report to his colonel, we need to make our displeasure known and insist that further steps be taken to control the men. Clearly punishing just Denny is not enough. As a business owner I know that all my employees need to be held to the same standards, with clear expectations set without favoritism. Otherwise the business ceases to function effectively. It should be the same with the militia unit."

"Good point, Gardiner. I do not think we should approach the colonel in anger, but as a group we do need to make our displeasure know. Phillips is a resident of the village and has seen the loiterers. He represents the people of Meryton,. Gardiner, you have the experience to draw on as a business man and manager. Bennet, you are a local landowner as well as the father of the victim of this attack and I have my experiences with Pemberley and my other properties in addition to my experience with Wickham's attack. It will not just be one man complaining, but several of us looking to find solutions."

"I agree we should go together. May we use your carriage, Darcy? While it is brought around I want to speak with Lydia and assure myself that my daughter is well."

"Of course. Miss York, I thank you for doing what you could to protect my sisters. I suspect you have downplayed your part. I know you and Miss Lucas fought fiercely to free Lydia. I will make sure the colonel knows that the situation cannot continue. You should not feel unsafe in the village."

I thanked Mr. Darcy for his assurances, then followed Mr. Bennet out to check on Lydia. We found the girls in the back parlor sorting through their purchases. All three had changed out of their walking dresses into gowns suitable for an afternoon at home. Lydia had wrapped a lace fichu around her neck like a muffler to cover the bruises that were starting to form. I thought Mr. Bennet would explode in anger again when he saw, but he fought to keep his anger in check with a visible effort.

"How are you doing, Lydia?" he asked.

"I am well, Papa," she answered, "just angry that my own feathers were used against me."

"Feathers?" he asked in confusion.

"Like Aesop's fable about the eagle killed with an arrow fletched with his own feathers. My earlier behavior with Mr. Wickham and the other officers is the feather. I may have changed my ways, but that is what set this attack in motion. Even though the outcome is not what I expected or wanted, the earlier events and my behavior led up to this."

Mr. Bennet looked impressed. "You got all _that_ from one of Aesop's fables?"

"Two, actually," she chuckled. "Miss York had us read that fable and the one about the frog who was killed because he refused to take a friend's advice to move away from a dangerous place. Kitty, Georgie and I discussed what the stories meant and how they applied to us."

"I may have to borrow that book of yours," he said thoughtfully. He turned back to Lydia. "Your uncles, Darcy and I are leaving to speak with Colonel Forster. I understand you have bruises on your neck from where he grabbed you. Did Denny do any other damage?"

"He tried to tear at my clothes, but I was too well bundled up for the walk for him to manage and damage. I also kept fighting him, so he could not get a good grip. Miss York and Charlotte came very quickly after I bit him and yelled."

"I am glad they did and that no one else was hurt. We will insist that Colonel Forster take action to ensure this does not happen again."

All three girls nodded their approval of that sentiment. Mr. Bennet looked at them all for a moment, then stood to leave.

"Take care of them, Miss York," he said before he walked out the door.

Since Lydia was not badly hurt, it seemed best to simply continue on with their normal activities. I had them put their purchases away for later and we returned to lessons. Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Bennet had sent Mildred to her bed after a particularly violent fit of sneezing, so I decided that Lydia and I would join the two girls in the music room while they worked together on another duet. Lydia brought her slate and we did more spelling and vocabulary practice while Kitty and Miss Darcy worked their way through a fairly simple piece of music the latter had suggested. I was able to offer them some hints in between the work with Lydia. We had settled into the rhythm of our tasks when Colonel Fitzwilliam entered the room.

"Are you well?" he asked, looking straight at me, before he seemed to realize the others were there. "Are you all well?" he added.

"Yes, Richard," said Miss Darcy. "We are all well."

He looked at me again. "I was with Colonel Forster when Andrews told us that Denny had attacked Lydia but that you and Miss Lucas had fought him off. Denny, Carter and five others have been confined to quarters while an investigation takes place. Once that was settled I rushed right here to check on you all."

"Papa went to see the colonel along with Uncle Phillips, Uncle Gardiner and Will. Did you not see them?" asked Lydia.

"I must have left before they arrived. I took my horse across several fields to get here instead of going the longer way by the road. Andrews told me what Lydia told him of the attack, but I expect there is more to it. Would you please explain to me exactly what happened?"

Lydia described for him how she had stepped out of the store well ahead of the rest of us and found herself surrounded by red-coated men. The colonel's expression darkened when she told him how the lieutenant clapped a hand over her mouth and carried her off while the others repositioned themselves around the door to block anyone else from leaving. He nodded in approval when she told him she had struggled and finally bit the hand clasped over her mouth.

"He yelped like a kicked dog," she laughed, "and it gave me a chance to yell for help." She told about my arrival with Charlotte and our struggle to free Lydia from the man's grip. "Lieutenant Andrews was strong enough to pull him away from us all. He punched the man in the stomach and Lieutenant Denny fell to the ground. I kicked him then, but did not get a second chance before two other officers came up and dragged Lieutenant Denny away."

"It was so strange trying to leave the draper's, Richard," said Miss Darcy. "The men acted like they were just standing there, but they somehow moved to block our every step. They did not grab or touch us, they just got in the way again and again. I have no idea how Miss York managed to break through. Charlotte used the break Miss York created, but told us to stay inside with Mr. Hanford."

"I was angry and frightened," I said. "When I heard Lydia yell I refused to let anyone stop me. I pushed and shoved and kicked until I got through. Then I ran."

"Charlotte just followed in her wake before they could close up behind her," Kitty added. "We went back inside and Mr. Hanford locked the door until Charlotte and Miss York came back with Lydia and Lieutenant Andrews. The lieutenant paid to replace Lydia's purchase which had been trampled in the snow and ruined."

The colonel asked a few clarifying questions and we answered as best we could. He had a grim expression that did not bode well for Lieutenant Denny and his helpers.

"You say they probably knew you were coming because one of the men overheard your plans?"

"Yes, I made the plans with Charlotte after Christmas services. After you had gone to speak with Colonel Forster, I talked with Charlotte. We decided to meet at the lane in front of Lucas Lodge at about eleven and proceed from there. At the time I noticed a man in uniform walk nearby. I had looked to see if it was you returning, but he was someone I did not recognize so I thought no more of it until Lieutenant Andrews said the attack seemed as if it had been planned."

"Would you recognize the man again?"

"I do not know for sure. I paid little attention to him after I confirmed he was not you." He smiled a little at that.

"We may need to check anyway later. It will depend on what Colonel Forster finds out. There will be an investigation. Colonel Forster and I have been looking at some other issues within the unit over the last few weeks. Two professional investigators will be arriving on Monday to look into those issues. I know Forster will send an express today so they will be prepared to look at this situation as well. They may need to interview all of you as well. If they do, please simply tell them the truth. They will be here to help and we should have nothing to hide."

We all agreed to do as he asked. The others drifted back to their tasks, leaving me to speak with the colonel. "Will Colonel Forster be in trouble because of this attack?"

"I hope not. He had taken what should have been sufficient steps to protect Lydia and the rest of you. After Denny's outburst at the party he was disciplined for ignoring the colonel's instructions to avoid interacting with members of the Bennet family. He was barred from any other social gatherings, given extra duties in the camp, and men were detailed to follow him and step in if he tried to cause any trouble. While his behavior was rude and ungentlemanly, his actions were not sufficient to warrant more serious punishment. The other members of the unit were given clear expectations for their behavior outside the camp. They were told that the Bennet daughters, in particular, had been forbidden by their father to speak with the soldiers of the militia and the colonel insisted they honor Mr. Bennet's wishes and stay away from the young ladies in question. Colonel Forster took the appropriate actions."

"Yet they worked as a team in this attack."

"Yes. That is the worrisome part of the whole incident. It is easy to understand one man, like Wickham, planning and carrying out an attack _on his own_. When _several_ men work in concert to defy orders and deliberately cause harm to a member of the civilian population there is a deeper problem at work. It may be related to the other issues under investigation, but I cannot say for sure at this time. This unit is troubled. It was troubled before Wickham arrived and seems to have only grown worse after his death. I do not envy Colonel Forster the task of straightening things out."

"So part of the problem is not knowing who in the unit to trust. What of Lieutenant Andrews? He seemed to be following Colonel Forster's orders."

"I believe him to be trustworthy. From what I have seen he is a good officer who attends to his duties and follows orders. He is the kind of man I would like to see in the regulars because he is serious about his work."

"Do you know his background?" The colonel looked at me oddly when I asked the question. I was thinking of Charlotte, but I wondered if he thought I was expressing an interest in the lieutenant for myself. I decided to clarify. "Charlotte had wondered and I told her I would ask you if I had the opportunity."

He appeared to relax. I had apparently guessed his concern correctly.

"He comes from a landed family in Derbyshire, not very far from Pemberley as it happens. Like me, he is a second son and his family is not very wealthy. He does have expectations of a small property from an elderly great uncle. He chose to enter the militia and train in the event those expectations are not fulfilled and to avoid looking too much like a vulture waiting for his relative to die before they are. Is that the kind of information Miss Lucas was looking for?" he finished with a smile and a wink.

"I suspect so. I will certainly pass the information on to her and I am sure you have her thanks for it."

"Miss York, I hope you know..." he began, but was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. Bennet and the other three men. He broke off with a sigh and turned away from me to greet them. Mr. Bennet assured us that he was satisfied with their interview with Colonel Forster, but would like us to stay close to Longbourn for the time being. We agreed and a few minutes later all five men headed to Mr. Bennet's study for more discussion.

I had to wonder what it was the colonel hoped I knew. I hoped Mildred was right when she told me things have a way of working out. I thought of the colonel and I hoped...


	24. Chapter 24

Saturday proved the calm after the storm, although calm is a relative term given Miss Darcy's joy when Dr. Burrows pronounced her arm well enough healed that she could finally dispense with the splint and resume her normal activities with caution. He advised her the arm would be weak and she would need to continue the exercises he had given her earlier, avoid lifting anything heavy and not overdo the piano practice. Promising to be careful, she immediately ran to the music room to play a few runs of scales with her left hand.

The doctor examined Mildred, who was still sneezing and coughing while running a slight fever. While he advised caution in her case as well, combined with bed rest and plenty of hot liquids, he thought she simply had a mild chill that would resolve itself in a few days. He suggested willow bark tincture to help reduce the aches and told us to check on her frequently to make sure the fever did not worsen.

After performing his professional duties the doctor headed to the study for a chat with his father in law. Mary sat with all the ladies in the drawing room for a little more visiting time. They planned to return to London that day and she wanted a little more time with her family.

Elizabeth and her husband showed up as well, with Mr. Darcy heading to the study while his wife joined the party of women. I set the younger girls to cutting and hemming several plain handkerchiefs made with fabric from the rag bag. I had a feeling Mildred would need them. All the other ladies joined in the activity and we soon had a small pile ready for use. Mary took some up with her when she went to check on Mildred partway through her visit.

Elizabeth told us her husband had received demands for money from some of the Earl of Matlock's creditors and feared Colonel Fitzwilliam might have as well. Mr. Darcy planned to have Mr. Phillips help with a reply declining any responsibility for the earl's debts and promising legal action if the demands persisted. After the letters had come in that morning's post, Mr. Darcy had sent a note to Netherfield suggesting the colonel do the same if he received similar notices.

Mr. Bingley arrived a little later to visit with Jane. He told us the colonel had been called to the militia camp shortly after the doctor and Mary had left that morning. The colonel had not yet seen either that day's post or the note from Mr. Darcy.

"I know the colonel posted a notice in the London paper at the same time Darcy did announcing that he had cut ties with his father and brother and would not be held responsible for their debts. The Duke of Montrose also spread the word heavily among the Ton. I think these creditors are just taking a chance that a nasty notice can pull a payment from the Darcy coffers. They must know the colonel does not have enough to pay his brother's debts," Mr. Bingley told us.

"I would hate to see them find a way to take his salary or his savings," Elizabeth said, "Richard has worked too hard for what he has to lose it all to his brother's gambling habit."

"Is Matlock entailed?" asked Mrs. Gardiner.

"Yes, the estate is tied to the title. The earl cannot sell or mortgage the house or lands. Will checked with a local contact and discovered the earl has already sold the furnishings, artwork and pretty much everything movable. He has lost the income from the rents because most of his tenants have packed up what they could and gone. The earl placed the London townhouse up for sale. Will says he will not get half of what it is worth because everyone knows he is desperate, but that is the price for this kind of failure."

"I feel sorry for Richard," Miss Darcy put in. "If it were my father and brother who had behaved so poorly, shaming the family name and destroying the estate, I would be devastated. Even if I have never been close to them, I am ashamed enough that they are my uncle and cousin. I hope the duke's warning will keep them from harming us."

"If the estate is entailed and they have sold what they can, it is probable your uncle and cousin will end up in debtor's prison," Mrs. Gardiner said solemnly.

"Horrible as that is, debtor's prison might be the safest place for them," suggested Elizabeth. "At least there the viscount will not be able to place high stakes wagers and lose more money he does not have."

"Why would he be so stupid and keep gambling even when he has no money to gamble with?" Lydia asked.

"People often become addicted to gambling and other things that are not good for them in excess. I do not know what happens in their minds, but even when they know better and see the harm they are doing they often cannot find the strength to stop themselves. The behavior controls them, not the other way around."

"I do not think I understand."

I tried to explain. "Someone who is not addicted plays for stakes they can afford and knows when to take their winnings, or accept their losses, and walk away. They may enjoy the game but they are not driven by it. From what I have seen, someone who is addicted is stimulated by the chances inherent in every turn of the cards or roll of the dice. Even when they win big amounts they will keep playing and usually end up losing everything they won and more. When they are on a losing streak they will keep going, constantly believing their luck will change on the next hand. Someone who gambles for profit, not addiction, will usually be able to manipulate an addicted gambler into losing even more."

"Hmm. So the viscount just kept going and going and no one stopped him, even when he had no more money to lose?"

"Yes," said Mr. Bingley, "only they would take a promise of payment from him and let him gamble with that. It is not real money but is considered a debt of honor and must be repaid."

"So he loses money he doesn't have and they lose money he cannot pay just to see what comes up in the next hand?"

"More or less," Mr. Bingley confirmed. "It always seemed like bad business to me, so I never got into the habit of gambling except when necessary in a social gathering. Even then I only play for low stakes and never more than what I decide in advance I can afford to lose. I would rather dance than play cards any night, especially if I can dance with Jane," he smiled at his betrothed.

"That shows your good sense," said Mrs. Bennet. "My Jane is too beautiful to be left sitting out a dance or thrown over for a pack of cards. All my daughters are."

"Thank you, Mama," said Jane and the other daughters followed suit. Mrs. Bennet's comment, simple though her view might be, closed the subject of gambling for the time being. I could tell Lydia was still not satisfied, but we could speak about it more later if she wished. The conversation turned to continued planning for Jane's wedding. They had chosen Tuesday, January 21st for their wedding day. It was Mr. Bingley's birthday and he said getting married to Jane on that day would make it his best birthday celebration ever. I felt it was as good a reason as any for choosing a date. He would probably not ever forget their anniversary this way.

Dr. Burrows emerged from the study soon after, suggesting it was time they leave. Mary gave hugs to all and promised her sisters she would make good use of the ink and quill Kitty and Lydia gave her to write regular letters to all her family. She assured them she would be back for Jane's wedding. After making the rounds of the room she went upstairs to hug her young cousins and then was subject to another round of hugs and good wishes at the front door as she and the doctor left.

I felt it was time the girls returned to their work, so we headed to the back parlor for a lesson in budgeting and managing household accounts. I showed them how to set up a simple ledger for tracking their pin money and how to enter their purchases and track the balance. We then worked together to build a sample account book for running a household, looking at all the various expenses. None of them had really thought about all the costs involved. Food appeared on the table at mealtimes, the fires were built up with coal on cold days and the servants were just there. Now they calculated the cost of the food they ate every day. We averaged out the price of the coal we burned each day just in the back parlor to keep it warm enough for lessons. Once they got over their surprise at the costs all three enjoyed learning how to track individual accounts by keeping a page for wages and a page for the butcher bills and payments and so on for each major category of expense. We then combined the information on the main household account page so they could see the total costs of running the house. Kitty proved herself particularly adept at the concepts involved, although Lydia and Miss Darcy were not far behind. In future lessons I planned to have them look at which variables they could change to run a household more efficiently without losing comfort and where penny pinching could cause hardship without giving real savings in return. Miss Darcy might not need to worry about that side of things, but Kitty and Lydia probably would.

They had time later for reading and for playing the pianoforte as well as embroidery. In between we took turns going up to check on Mildred, sometimes running into one of the other ladies returning from doing the same. I hoped in our care we were not keeping Mildred from getting enough rest.

0o0o0o0

Not even one man in military uniform appeared at services the next day, much to my surprise. Even if the rest of the men were confined to the camp I would have expected Colonel Fitzwilliam to come. He was not officially part of the militia unit. I was not the only person wondering what their absence could mean. Questions swirled around the assembly, but no one had a definitive explanation for their absence, not even Mr. Bingley, who said the colonel had not returned from the camp the day before.

I wondered if the investigators had come early. They might have insisted the men all remain in camp and I was sure the colonel was helping with the investigation if that was the case. I still worried for him. I said a prayer that he would be safe and the investigation, now or later, would proceed smoothly.

After the services Lydia had to field many questions about the attack on Friday. The previous day we had discussed what was appropriate for her to say and what was not. She handled herself with grace under the questioning. Most of her neighbors were truly concerned for her welfare and were glad she had not been hurt. The few who hoped to find something to gossip about were disappointed for she gave them no target at which to shoot. I was pleased by her success.

Mr. Bennet stayed close by Lydia when the neighbors gathered round. As we left to ride home he congratulated her on expressing herself well under all the attention. I could see she was both surprised and gratified by his approval. Mr. Bennet was realizing that his youngest daughters might not be so silly after all. He asked what lessons Lydia had worked on the day before. She happily described the sample budget they had worked on. Kitty and Miss Darcy chimed in, commenting on some of the expenses they had not considered before.

"I have not always paid the proper attention to my accounts," admitted Mr. Bennet. "Lizzy would chide me for being sloppy with my sums or forgetting to make entries as I should. She sometimes redid the work and I took it as permission to keep being lazy. Now I am trying hard to change. I want to make Longbourn profitable to provide you girls and your mother with a better future."

"We can help, Papa," said Kitty brightly. "Miss York says I am very good at my sums and I enjoyed working with the account book."

"I can help too," said Lydia. "It was interesting finding out what is needed to make a household run. I want to learn what is needed to make an estate run smoothly."

"I would enjoy having help from you both as I close out the books for this year. Your brother, Darcy, has made suggestions on where I can improve, but there is still the tracking for December to finish up before we take on the new year. If Miss York can spare you for a few hours tomorrow we can look at this year's books together."

"Actually, sir, if you do not mind I would like to sit in as well. I can teach them better if I know what you have discussed. A seat in the corner where I can knit as I listen in would be sufficient."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. Shall we convene in my study at nine o'clock?"

"Yes, Papa!" they both said together.

"Will you be joining us, Georgiana?" he asked.

"I am interested in how an estate works, but I think I would like to spend the time at the pianoforte if you do not mind. While my arm was healing I missed so much practice. I can sit with Mrs. Annesley and read to her when my arm grows tired."

"Very good," he said. "You are welcome to join us if you wish, but your plan does sound like a good one. For myself, I dread the task less knowing I shall have company tomorrow."

Going over the accounts had been a task I enjoyed with my father when I was young. If Lydia and Kitty could forge that kind of bond with their father over the estate books all three would be the better for it. I found myself looking forward to the next day's lesson as well.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: _As a Black Friday special you not only get a second chapter today, you get some answers. Read on..._

* * *

Mr. Bennet carried in three of the narrow chairs from the dining room to replace the large comfortable chair he normally used when sitting behind his desk. He sat in the middle with a daughter on either side as they examined the ledgers that lay open in front of them. I knitted and listened to the conversation.

"Why are the entries for Mr. Cooper's rent smaller for these two quarters than all the entries before," asked Lydia.

"If you remember, his wife was very ill at that time and he became ill for a while as well. He had to pay the apothecary for medicines and he hired Miss Lacey to come sit with his wife and tend to her needs. While he was ill he could not care for his crop as well, so he hired the Hexham boy to help him. That meant he had less money for the rent. We discussed the situation and I agreed to reduce his rent for those two quarters while he agreed to pay a little extra each quarter going forward to make up for it. You see here how the rent amount went up a little beyond his usual last quarter."

Will you often do something like that if a tenant cannot pay?" Kitty asked.

"It depends on the tenant. Mr. Cooper has always been very prompt in his payments and he takes good care of the farm and the house. As you see we did not reduce the rent by a great deal, but it was enough to make a difference and keep him happy. I trust him to deal fairly with me and even if he did not repay the full amount it would cost me more to replace him as a tenant if I kicked him out or he became unhappy and left. I have to weigh each request carefully. Some people will take advantage of you if you help them out. I try not to let a bad experience with one of that sort keep me from being flexible with someone like Mr. Cooper."

"Why is Mr. Cooper's rent higher than Mr. Hexham's?"

"Think about the two properties, Lydia. What is the difference between them?"

"Hmm. Mr. Cooper is on lower, flatter ground. Mr. Hexham has a lot of little hills on his property. Does that make a difference?"

"Mr. Hexham has a smaller farm too, does he not?" asked Kitty.

"True on both counts," said Mr. Bennet, smiling. "Those little hills on the Hexham farm are harder to plow and tend than flatter ground would be. They are also rockier, which causes problems. No matter how well Mr. Hexham tends his farm he will not produce as much as Mr. Cooper does. In addition, both the plot of land and the farmhouse are smaller than the Cooper farm. I make allowances for that when I set the rent."

"Is there anything Mr. Hexham can do to use the land better?"

"Actually, Kitty, that is just the right question to ask. In fact, since Mr. Cooper's son left to work in London last year he has had more trouble keeping up the work on his farm. He and Mr. Hexham are considering a partnership. Mr. Cooper, Mr. Hexham and young George Hexham would work together farming the Cooper plot. Most of the Hexham farm would be shifted into grazing for sheep which young Landon Hexham would tend. The land is truly better suited for that purpose than for farming. Both families would share the profits for the operations as Mr. Cooper would help purchase the sheep."

"Do you approve of them doing that?"

"Yes, Kitty. I consider Mr. Hexham a very trustworthy man as well. He and Mr. Cooper will draw up a formal agreement so there are no misunderstandings or arguments about who is entitled to how much of the harvest or any profits from selling wool or selling the sheep for food. I may also help with the purchase of the sheep in return for a portion of the profits above the cost of rent. Your brother, Darcy, has done something similar at Pemberley. He has spoken with me and both men about the issues and successes his farmers had."

"Why would there be issues?" asked Lydia.

"There will always be something unexpected that crops up. You plan for what you can and hope that the unexpected thing is not big enough to cause a real problem. If you are lucky, the unexpected thing will be something good, like wool becoming more fashionable than muslin so wool prices go up giving us a bigger profit." He chuckled and the girls joined in.

The discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mr. Darcy poked his head in.

"Good morning," he said. "Would you all please join us in the drawing room? I have some information to pass on and I think everyone should hear it at once."

Both his expression and tone of voice told me the news was probably not good. The others picked up on that as well. We were a silent group as we got up and followed him to the drawing room.

Miss Darcy was helping Mildred settle into a chair by the fire with a shawl comfortably wrapped around her and several of the new handkerchiefs to hand. Mrs. Bennet, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Mr. Bingley, Jane and Elizabeth were already seated. The four of us took seats, while Mr. Darcy stood where he could be seen and heard by us all. When everyone was seated he began to speak.

"I will start with the good news. We do not have to worry about Richard being sent back to the Continent any time soon. He will also be remaining in this area past Twelfth Night. The reasons for these two pieces of news are not so good." He sighed.

"I was worried when Richard did not show up for services yesterday and even more so when I discovered he had not yet returned to Netherfield this morning when I went to see him with further news, I went to the camp to check on him." He turned to Mrs. Bennet.

"Mother Bennet, I know you enjoy sharing news with your friends. For the time being I must ask that what I am about to tell you all is not discussed with anyone outside this group. It will become public knowledge soon, but it is best that _we_ are not the ones to spread the information."

"I understand, Will. I will not tell anyone until you say I can."

"Thank you, Mother Bennet. Is everyone agreed?" We all nodded.

"The entire militia unit has been confined to camp as was suspected, but not quite for the reason we thought. I know now that part of what Richard and Colonel Forster have been investigating involves a smuggling and embezzlement operation. Colonel Forster found some odd entries in the unit's accounts which covered up significant thefts of materials and funds. With Richard's help he had traced some of the accounting irregularities back to the previous commander of the unit, a man who is now in charge of another unit currently stationed in Rayleigh near the Essex coast. Many of those seemingly idle soldiers seen in Meryton were actually members of Colonel Mallow's unit from Rayleigh. They were here passing on goods and information or returning from deliveries to the west and north. Several members of Colonel Forster's unit were involved, including Captain Carter, Lieutenant Denny and apparently Wickham."

"Wickham was a smuggler?" said Mr. Bennet in disbelief.

"According to Lieutenant Denny that was Wickham's intent in joining the militia. He let himself be distracted by his desire to make a large sum of money from me through Georgiana, just as Denny was distracted by his desire to humiliate Lydia. Denny's companions assisted because Denny's father is one of the local men providing a landing site for Colonel Mallow's smuggling operation. His detention after the attack on Lydia eventually provided the final key to unraveling the nature of the operation."

"I thought you said this was the bad news," interjected Mr. Gardiner.

"This part is more of a mixed blessing. While it is good they have identified the smuggling operation and several key players it came at a cost. Richard was called to the camp on Saturday by Lieutenant Andrews after Captain Carter attacked Colonel Forster while he was questioning Denny. Carter was stopped by Andrews before he could kill the colonel outright and Forster asked for Richard's assistance. Unfortunately, Colonel Forster passed away from his injuries before Richard arrived. As highest ranking officer in the area Richard took charge of the unit until the investigators could arrive. He insisted on the full lock down of the camp, using men he knew to be loyal as guards for the rest. Runners took word to London and the investigators arrived Saturday evening with a small additional group of guards. They have been conducting a full investigation of the unit since then, uncovering the links to the smugglers and Colonel Mallow's unit. A force has gone from London to detain Mallow and his men. I understand there will be other units investigated as well. Richard has been reporting on this situation during his stay here. Orders came through today placing him in charge of this unit as Colonel Forster's permanent replacement."

"He told you all this today?"

"No, Georgie. Richard has not said a thing about it to me, today or earlier. One of the investigators is a friend from University who I once helped out of a messy situation. He told me and gave me permission to tell my family. I only saw Richard for a few moments. He looks like he has not slept since Saturday morning. He told me to let you all know that he was fine but would be very busy for a while."

"Poor Mrs. Forster!" said Mrs. Bennet. "To lose her husband so young. Is anyone looking after her?"

"She has been taken to stay with Mrs. Shaw until her husband's affairs have been set in order."

"The midwife? Oh, yes, that does make sense. Mrs. Forster did say she was expecting an addition to the family in a few months. Poor dear! I do hope the colonel was able to leave her something for them to carry on."

"She will be taken care of properly, Mother Bennet." From the look on Mr. Darcy's face I could tell that even if the colonel had not left enough to support them he would ensure Mrs. Forster and her child, if it survived, would have a home and means to live on.

"The reason I went to see Richard today, aside from my natural worry for him, was because I received an express this morning from the Duke of Montrose. He has been coordinating with the men Richard and I had watching my uncle. I expect you will get an express a little later from the man they were reporting to in your warehouse, Gardiner. My uncle was able to sell the townhouse at a significant loss, but for a full payment in cash. He and the viscount have disappeared from London and the duke believes they have taken the money and left the country, mostly likely smuggled out by boat in an ironic twist to today's events."

"Where would they go?" asked Miss Darcy.

"The earl does own a small estate in Ireland, but it may already have been sold. I will have that option investigated further, but I think it most likely they are making their way to a major port either on the continent or in Ireland where they can obtain passage to the Canadas. If they return they will probably both be thrown into debtor's prison."

"What does that mean for the estate of Matlock?"

"It changes nothing at the moment, Mrs. Gardiner. The man I sent to check on the estate says that Matlock is a nearly empty shell. Most of the staff has been let go and anything that could be has been sold. It still remains tied to the title, so Richard has no claim to it and no responsibility for it. While it is a waste of good land and capital, even in the event the earl and viscount both die and Richard inherited, it would be expensive to renovate and any improvements could probably be seized by the earl's creditors. On the chance that it does someday fall to Richard I will hire a caretaker to look after the building to prevent it from being used by vagrants or destroyed. If I can find a few tenants to look after the farms I will have their rents simply pay for the maintenance of the estate. I have no actual legal standing to do so, but as long as I do not make a profit, I doubt anyone will complain."

I wondered how the colonel felt about this latest news. He had just lost a friend and fellow officer, gained a nightmare of a problem to unravel and now his father and brother had left their family home deserted and in debt. As Mr. Darcy had said, the true good news was that the colonel would not have to return to fighting on the continent. Given the situation here, he might have preferred that.

Mr. Darcy answered what he could of a few more questions, but he had already given the important information. Mildred was coughing badly by this point, so Mrs. Bennet and I helped her upstairs and back to bed. I insisted she have some of the willow bark tincture while Mrs. Bennet went to have a nice hot posset prepared for her. The fever was still only mild, but I did not like sound of her cough. I hoped it would not settle in her chest or become pneumonia.

Elizabeth came up and offered to read quietly or even sing Mildred to sleep with lullabies. I left Mildred well tucked into bed listening to Elizabeth's sweet voice as she waited for her posset to arrive. I hoped the hot drink and rest would help her recover quickly.

"Will Mrs. Annesley be all right?" Kitty asked as the three girls crowded around me on my return.

"I believe so," I told them. "We are looking after her and her fever remains low. Elizabeth is up singing her to sleep right now and we will check on her again a little later."

"Please let me know if Mrs. Annesley needs anything I can provide. Should I send for the apothecary?" asked Mr. Darcy.

"Dr. Burrows felt she would be fine with the willow bark tincture and hot drinks as long as the fever stays low. We have all been checking on her regularly, to the point I am afraid we may be disturbing her sleep. I do not think the apothecary could do anything more at this time, but Mrs. Gardiner or Mrs. Bennet will call him in an instant if Mrs. Annesley's condition worsens."

"Very good. I understand I interrupted a lesson in estate management."

"Kitty and Lydia were learning to help their father with the account books. All three young ladies learned about managing the household accounts yesterday."

"Thank you for looking after Georgiana while Mrs. Annesley is ill. She says she has enjoyed the lessons."

"I am glad to work with her. Mrs. Annesley and I have been sharing the teaching while they are here. Kitty and Lydia look on Miss Darcy as another sister. It is just natural for her to be a part of anything we are working on."

"I appreciate your care all the same. Now I will let you get back to your account work with Mr. Bennet while Georgie and I sit together in the music room for a bit. She will come join you after Elizabeth comes down. Oh, I nearly forgot, my godfather enclosed the latest moves in your chess game in the express. Would you take Mr. Bennet his?" He pulled two folded notes out of the inside pocket of his coat and handed them to me.

"Of course, Mr. Darcy. Thank you for sharing all the news with us earlier. I know it is a difficult situation." He nodded and wrapping an arm around Miss Darcy's shoulder they headed to the music room. I gathered Kitty and Lydia to return to their father's study.


	26. Chapter 26

We spent another hour going over the Longbourn estate books with Mr. Bennet. There was still much to do in order to close out the accounts for the year, but it would not all be accomplished in a sitting, especially with the stops for explanations along the way. Kitty and Mr. Bennet played a game of chess while Lydia and I watched. It was quick game because Kitty was not very skilled. Still, I could see she was learning and would improve with practice. Lydia paid attention and was interested by the strategy involved. If we let her come to it on her own she might eventually want to learn the game.

Both girls once again demonstrated that sense of insight they had hidden behind their silly behavior when we talked after leaving Mr. Bennet's study. I suggested their mother might appreciate a chance to show them how she kept the household books.

"She probably would enjoy that," said Lydia. "She liked teaching us how to prepare for a party. It might go better, though, if she and Papa only worked with one of us at a time."

"Yes," Kitty agreed, "Lydia and I were questioning different things and it really slowed us both down. Mama would probably be frustrated by that. I think Lydia should work with Papa and I should work with Mama."

"What is your reasoning for that division, Kitty?" I asked, sensing this was not an arbitrary suggestion.

"Papa says he is enjoying teaching me chess. It is our time together and that makes me more _his_ daughter. If Lydia works with him on the estate accounts they will have time together as well and she can also be _his_ daughter. Mama has always considered Lydia to be her special daughter. If Lydia works with her on the accounts or if both of us do, then nothing changes. If I work with Mama while Lydia works with Papa a little bit of that bond will shift. Lydia will still be her special daughter, but we will have some time that is just the two of us. Do you agree, Lydia?"

Lydia nodded and it was clear she had worked that out as well. "I do not have to be just Mama's daughter. Spending time with Papa makes me more, not less. "

"I am glad you both understand that now. Your family is going through big changes right now with your older sisters' marriages. It is a good time to change the ways you relate to both parents."

Miss Darcy had entered as we were speaking. "Will and I were just talking about that very subject while Lizzy was up with Mrs. Annesley. He wanted to be sure I did not feel unwanted or discarded staying here for a few weeks while he established his relationship with his new wife. I feel the same way about spending time here that Lydia does about spending time with her father. I am learning to be part of a big family with sisters and aunts and uncles who are all kind people. It makes me more – more happy, more loved, more confident. When I go back to live with Will and Lizzy our roles will change, but I will carry all of you with me inside. I like that." She paused and grinned, then continued, "Now, tell me, what did you learn from your father today?"

Before I could remind them, all three got out their workbaskets and took out a project to work on while they talked. I smiled as I picked up my knitting and joined them. There ensued a lively discussion of estate accounts and tenant relations.

0o0o0o0

The Longbourn party and their various relations, present and future, were invited to Lucas Lodge the next day for a New Year's Eve party. The party was to last until after midnight, but Mrs. Bennet preferred that we return and celebrate the actual passing of the year at Longbourn. She had a superstitious belief that if she began the year away from home she would end the year without a home. The Lucases understood as the subject came up every year. We would arrive early for more time with our hosts before the other guests showed up.

We arrived before Mr. Bingley or the Darcys. I knew the colonel had been invited as well, but did not know if his duties would permit him to attend. Mildred wished to join us at the turning of the year, so we insisted she stay abed and rest until nearly midnight. Mrs. Hill was charged with checking on her while we attended the party.

Charlotte greeted me warmly as her sister claimed the company of my three charges. Jane and Mrs. Gardiner joined us and together we claimed a corner of the drawing room to sit and talk. We discussed the state of Mildred's health, Jane's upcoming wedding and our hopes for the new year to come. When the Darcys arrived Elizabeth joined us. Mrs. Gardiner's memories of Lambton and Pemberley became our new topics of discussion. Charlotte had tried to turn the conversation to the militia and any word we might have had from the colonel, but we as quickly turned it back to another another topic. Jane looked uncomfortable at what I thought she felt was a deception. I noticed she quickly joined Mr. Bingley on his arrival.

"What is going on?" asked Charlotte finally. "Every time I bring up the militia you all look at each other and we are suddenly speaking of something else. You all know something. Even Mrs. Bennet looks as though she is ready to burst with news but is speaking of nothing more consequential than a new needlework pattern Lydia is learning."

It was true. Mrs. Bennet was making a heroic effort to keep her word to Mr. Darcy and say nothing of the situation at the militia camp. Mr. Bennet was sitting near her and seemed to be giving her support in her efforts. The relationship between the two had been changing since I had arrived. He had ceased teasing and belittling her in public. Looking at them now together one might almost think they were courting. I was glad to see it. Not only did Mrs. Bennet deserve the respect, Lydia and Kitty would feel better about their mother if their father treated her well.

"There is something going on at the militia camp, Charlotte," said Elizabeth. "We know something of it, but have been asked to keep the information confidential at this time. Can you let the matter rest?"

"When I see that even your mother is keeping her silence on the matter, I believe I can. When the news becomes public one of you _will_ tell me the full truth, will you not?"

Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner and I looked at one another. As one, we turned to Charlotte and nodded. She smiled at us. "I will ask no more then. Now what is this about a new stitch pattern Lydia has learned?"

We laughed and I told her about Lydia's success with some of the pulled work patterns in the book I had purchased on our first excursion into town together. I also told her about the sample household account book the young ladies had worked on and their foray into estate accounting with their father.

"I have helped with both Mother and Father's accounting for years," Charlotte told us. "Papa has been teaching my younger brother, John, as well, but with my brother still at Cambridge I do most of the helping. I should suggest to Mother that Maria learn to do the household accounts as well. She would gain confidence from the experience."

"I always had to fix Papa's sums," said Elizabeth with a grin. "He was a very lazy accountant. I am glad he is determined to change and that Kitty and Lydia are helping. It is their futures he is securing."

"Lydia will be working with your father and Kitty with your mother going forward," I told her.

"Odd, I would have expected Lydia to work Mama. She is her favorite."

"That is precisely why your sisters decided on that particular division of the work. Kitty is already spending time with your father while they play chess. She will now have some individual time with your mother while Lydia will have a common interest with your father."

" _They_ suggested this?"

"Yes, it was Kitty's suggestion and Lydia agreed with her. Now that they are expected to be something other than the silly ones, both girls are showing more intelligence than anyone has given them credit for."

"They have surprised me several times lately," said Mrs. Gardiner. "I am enjoying the opportunity to watch them blossom into fine young ladies."

The other guests began to arrive and Elizabeth went to join her husband. She said he felt more comfortable in company when she was by his side. Mrs. Gardiner moved to greet Mrs. Long and I was left with just Charlotte for a brief time.

"I was able to find out more about Lieutenant Andrews," I told her.

She leaned in and in a teasing voice said, "Do tell. Or is it part of the forbidden subject?"

"Oh no, I can tell you this. After we returned to Longbourn on Friday the colonel came to check on all of us when he heard about the attack. Part of our discussion referenced the role of Lieutenant Andrews and I took the opportunity to ask for more information about him. The colonel says that the lieutenant comes from a landed family with an estate in..." I paused for dramatic effect.

Charlotte tapped my arm with her fan, "Must I beat it out of you?"

"Derbyshire!" I proclaimed in triumph, "not far from Pemberley." I chuckled at the surprise on her face.

"Truly?"

"Yes, indeed. He is a second son, but apparently he has expectations from a great uncle. If nothing changes he is set to inherit a small estate from said uncle. He will not be wealthy like Mr. Darcy, but he could support a family comfortably on such an inheritance. Now what do you think of that?"

"I think it is very good news. Now I must simply find a way to spend some time with the good Lieutenant."

"According to the colonel he _is_ a good lieutenant. Colonel Fitzwilliam says Lieutenant Andrews is attentive to his duties and a very trustworthy man."

"That is high praise considering what we know of the colonel. I wonder if the lieutenant would be willing to step away from his duties for an invitation to tea."

"That may not be possible for a while." I said and then shook my head at her questioning look.

"Ah, the great militia mystery."

"Yes."

"At least I know he is a good prospect. Perhaps a word in Eliza's ear would help find me some time to become acquainted with him."

"I may have hinted to the colonel that you could be amenable to spending a little time with the lieutenant."

"I do not know whether to thank you or hit you."

"He seemed to think I was asking about the lieutenant on my own account. I had to set matters straight."

"Well, we shall see what we shall see."

"I think it unfair sometimes that we must wait for the man to express interest in us first. I know we can certainly help a man along, but in the end the choice to speak or not speak is his."

"Then we must learn to be very skilled at helping certain men along."

We laughed at that, then changed the subject as other guests arrived and came to join us in our corner.

Colonel Fitzwilliam did _not_ show up for the party. There was some wonder at his absence and at the absence of Colonel Forster and his wife, who had also been invited. We had to keep silent as the other guests discussed the possible reasons they had not arrived. I could Lydia was having almost as difficult a time as her mother, but both of them managed to hold their tongues. Mr. Darcy suggested that official business might be keeping the colonel, but he did not specify which colonel he meant. That idea was picked up, talked over and pronounced reasonable.

Dinner arrived punctually and we enjoyed it in the good company there. People talked about the assembly the previous week, their Christmas celebrations and whatever gossip had come up since they last met. Some discussed their plans for the coming year and the upcoming wedding of Jane and Mr. Bingley was a popular topic. The food was as good as the company. We celebrated the passing of the year in very good cheer.

After dinner Mr. Bennet excused our party and we left amid wishes for a safe and happy new year. Charlotte reminded me to make a wish upon the last stroke of midnight. I knew what she would wish for. I knew what I would wish for as well.

We returned to Longbourn and Mrs. Hill's assurance that Mildred had rested and was feeling well enough to join us later. The Gardiner children, along with Teddy had been sent to bed early so they could join us as midnight drew near. Around eleven thirty they were brought downstairs to join the adults. Bethany cuddled on her mother's lap sleepily, while Teddy, Edward and Franklin sat on the floor in front of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner. Mildred came down and we sat together. Her fever had broken, but she was still tired and had that nasty cough. She enjoyed the steaming wassail that Mrs. Hill served to us all at Mrs. Bennet's direction.

As midnight drew near, all the servants joined us in the drawing room. They also had hot cups of wassail to celebrate. As the clock struck, Mr. Bennet performed his duty. He strode to the front door of the house while we all stood and gathered in the hall to watch. At the final stroke he opened the door to usher the old year out and welcome the new year in. I made my wish on that final stroke, and I suspect others were making wishes as well. We all cheered as the new year arrived and then wished each other well with hugs and handshakes, laughter and smiles. Mr. Bennet closed the door and joined us.

It was now 1812. What would this new year bring?


	27. Chapter 27

By midday Thursday most of Meryton was aware of Colonel Forster's death. Lady Lucas came to Longbourn to ensure the Bennets heard about it since they had remained at home the previous day. We had all barely taken our seats after greeting the Lucas ladies when she burst out with the news.

"Imagine! Colonel Forster dead, and killed by one of his own men no less! And poor Mrs. Forster left all alone in her condition." She stopped as she realized no one in the room seemed surprised at her news.

"Fanny Bennet!" she chided as the reason hit. "You knew! On New Year's Eve at the party! You knew and never said a word!"

Charlotte, who had come to sit with Mildred and me, cocked an eyebrow at us. I held up a finger in a gesture to suggest she wait a minute. Mrs. Bennet looked at Mr. Bennet, who had come into the room to greet the guests. He smiled at her and nodded, then chuckled at the joy on her face when she received permission to tell her news. He gave Lydia a similar nod and smile, rolled his eyes at me, then headed back to his study.

"So, you can tell me now?" Charlotte asked quietly.

"Listen to Mrs. Bennet first, then we will clarify." I answered in equally low tones.

Lady Lucas had been watching Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's non-verbal exchange with wonder. "I never thought to see the day! Fanny Bennet had news before anyone else and did not say a word!"

"Well, you see," Mrs. Bennet began, "Mr. Darcy found out in confidence and was only able to tell us if we promised not to say anything until it became common knowledge. I swear I thought I would simply burst when everyone was asking why neither colonel had shown up at your party!"

"Nothing bad has happened to Colonel Fitzwilliam now, has it?"

"Oh, no. It is just that he has had to take charge since Colonel Forster's death. Apparently he and Colonel Forster had been investigating several of the men because money was missing from the accounts. When that awful Denny attacked my Lydia they learned the other men helped him because his father is a smuggler."

"A smuggler. Were there other men involved?"

"Why, yes! That horrible Wickham was a smuggler too. And Captain Carter! He killed the colonel to keep him from finding out. I thought he would be such a good match for my Kitty at one time. We were just lucky _that_ did not happen!"

"Imagine the shame of having a smuggler for a son in law," Lady Lucas agreed. "So Captain Carter killed Colonel Forster to protect the smugglers, not in a fight over the colonel's wife?"

"I do not know who would tell you such a ridiculous thing about that poor girl! She and the colonel seemed so devoted to each other. No, no. It was because of the smuggling. You see, before Colonel Forster was in charge of this unit there was another colonel. Mallow, I think the name was. He moved to a unit in Essex, near where Denny's father lives. Those men who would come into Meryton and act like they were just standing around were from that Colonel Mallow's unit and were here passing messages and moving smuggled goods."

"Imagine! Right here in Meryton!"

"Thank goodness we have proper soldiers like Colonel Fitzwilliam to protect us. And that pleasant young man, Lieutenant Andrews as well. He helped our Lydia when Lieutenant Denny attacked her and he tried to protect Colonel Forster from Carter. He was the one who sent for Colonel Fitzwilliam, you know."

"Goodness! How will they know which men are smugglers and which are not?"

"Oh, they have some investigators from London who are helping sort things out. They came with orders to Colonel Fitzwilliam to officially take command of the militia unit. That is why he could not attend either of our New Year's Eve celebrations. He is not on leave anymore."

"It is not a promotion, is it? He was already a colonel in the regulars."

"I do not know about that, but it does mean he will not have to go back to the war right away. He is such a dear man. I do not like to think of him being shot at by those awful Frenchmen."

"Certainly not."

Their conversation moved to the differences in French and English fashions. Charlotte turned back to us and summed up what she had heard.

"The unit in Meryton was part of a smuggling operation started by the previous commander and carried on by select members after that colonel moved to a unit near the coast?"

Mildred and I nodded. Then Mildred coughed a few times.

"Captain Carter, Lieutenant Denny and Mr. Wickham were all members of the smuggling operation as were those small groups of soldiers we saw around town?"

We nodded again.

"Captain Carter killed Colonel Forster to protect the smuggling ring's secrets?"

Another nod.

"Why would Mr. Wickham or Lieutenant Denny attack young women who had nothing to do with the smuggling?"

"Mr. Darcy believes that Mr. Wickham came here with the intent to join the smugglers, but became distracted by the opportunity to obtain Miss Darcy's dowry if he could kidnap and marry her. He chose the quicker, greedier route and failed as a result."

"That would explain why Colonel Forster had such a difficult time finding Mr. Wickham at first." said Charlotte with sudden insight. "The other smugglers in the unit were hiding him until dark that first day. And Lieutenant Denny's claim that Mr. Wickham stole his savings served to deflect suspicion that he might have helped. It was only when Colonel Fitzwilliam took up the chase that they made any progress in tracking and finding Mr. Wickham. He was not relying on the reports of key men in the unit."

"I did not know about the funds, but that would certainly make sense."

"Yes," added Mildred. "Colonel Fitzwilliam was determined even when no one knew what had happened. I remember he was very frustrated by the lack of useful information he received from Colonel Forster's men. They learned more about Mr. Wickham's movements prior to the attack from Lydia than they did from his fellow officers."

"Mr. Wickham might have escaped to London and disappeared if he had not chosen the wrong horse to steal," added Charlotte.

"He chose to bet on an unknown horse and lost." We chuckled a little at the reference to racetrack gambling. Mildred had another coughing fit as a result.

"So why would Lieutenant Denny risk the operation for his attack on Lydia?" asked Charlotte after Mildred caught her breath.

"Mr. Darcy told us the investigators learned Lieutenant Denny wanted to humiliate Lydia. He not only blamed her for the recent trouble he had gotten into with Colonel Forster, but also for the whole business with Mr. Wickham. She had provided information that led Mr. Wickham into his ill-fated attack and they probably suspected she had betrayed other information to the searchers, especially when she would no longer associate with the soldiers. The other men agreed to help him because Lieutenant Denny's father is important to the smuggling operation, having property on the Essex coast that provides the smugglers with a landing site."

"It was stupid of him, no matter what Lydia might have said or done. Now everything is exposed for investigation."

"From what Mr. Darcy found out, the two colonels already suspected what was happening. Lieutenant Denny's arrest and the attack by Captain Carter simply accelerated the exposure of the operation."

"It is sad Colonel Forster had to pay the price for it."

"Yes. He seemed a very good man. I understand he and Colonel Fitzwilliam had been friends for some time."

"I wonder what will happen to Mrs. Forster. Hopefully the smugglers will all be detained and none will target her in revenge."

"I am sure Colonel Fitzwilliam will see to her safety. She is staying with Mrs. Shaw, the midwife, for now. I expect if they consider her under threat she will be quietly spirited away to someplace in Derbyshire or beyond."

"Yes, Mr. Darcy does seem the type to step in and help a widow, especially with his cousin's involvement in the matter. I would not be surprised to learn she mysteriously inherited a cottage and annuity if it turns out the colonel did not leave her enough funds to live on."

Mildred and I nodded our agreement, then we turned the conversation to other matters until Mrs. Lucas announced they needed to leave. It was clear she wanted to go spread the new gossip she had received. Mrs. Bennet, now that she was freed from her enforced silence, wanted to go visit her sister, Mrs. Phillips for a chat and called for her carriage as well. Lydia and Kitty looked at me for permission to join her, but I shook my head. We had had lessons to tend to. More gossip could wait.

0o0o0o0

Friday saw the Gardiners preparing to return to town. They had planned to leave that afternoon anyway. Now the weather had turned colder and more snow was threatening, so they would be leaving just as soon as they could get everything packed up and ready. Mrs. Gardiner was overseeing the last of the trunks being brought downstairs when Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived. From my place in the drawing room I heard him as he greeted her in the hall.

"I am glad you are still here, Mrs. Gardiner. Are my cousin and your husband in Mr. Bennet's study?"

"We are in here, Richard," said Mr. Darcy from his seat on the settee. He had come for a chat with Mr. Gardiner while Elizabeth helped her aunt prepare to leave. The men had chosen to sit in the drawing room with the rest of us.

Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped into the drawing room and greeted us all. My heart ached at how weary he looked. Clearly sleep had been in short supply for him this week.

He glanced around the room. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner came in behind him and we all regarded him expectantly. He sighed.

"I suppose you are all aware of what has been going on at the camp?" We all nodded or made noises of agreement.

"We are still investigating and I cannot tell you much at this time. I was hoping to catch you before you left, Gardiner. Could the team of men who were investigating my father still report to your warehouse?"

"Certainly, Colonel. May I assume they are now investigating the smuggling operation?"

"In a way, yes. They will still be following Mr. Hampton, Will's former business partner, along with a few others who may be involved in London. We discovered that Mr. Hampton has been a part of the operation. He was using the investment with you, Will, as a cover. The losses that bothered you were expenses related to a shipment that went bad. When he lost you as a partner several other investors pulled out and he lost the appearance of legitimacy your name had lent him. He is scrambling to recover and we hope to follow him to more leads." He sighed again.

"It appears my father was helping the operation along as well, hoping to make enough profit to pay some of my brother's gambling debts. He would have done far better to have simply locked my brother in a suite at Matlock years ago and not let him out until he showed some sense," he huffed in frustration.

"It was out of your hands, Richard," Mr. Darcy told him. "You tried to warn your father and were ignored."

"I know," he said in an exasperated tone. "Hindsight has perfect vision. If I had realized how far the two of them would go in their madness I would have done something different, but I did not and now get to deal with this."

"Were you able to take the ringleaders into custody?" asked Mr. Gardiner.

"With help from headquarters, yes. Mallow's entire unit has been moved from their camp near Rayleigh and is under guard We have been questioning my new unit man by man and looking into their backgrounds. Thankfully it so far seems to have only involved a small number of them. The camp will remain under lock-down until we are sure we have all those involved identified."

"That may take some time," Mr. Bennet said.

"Yes, it may," the colonel answered. He looked around at the family and finished with his eyes resting on me. "I will not be available to attend any gatherings or to visit for pleasure until this is resolved. Even when the issues with the smugglers are handled there will be much work needed to get this unit back in shape and recover. I will not have time for social activities." He looked sad as well as tired.

"Please be sure to take care of yourself and get some rest," I told him. "Tired men make mistakes. I would hate to see you hurt because you pushed yourself too hard."

The others chimed in, agreeing with the sentiment. He nodded slightly at me, then turned to Mr. Gardiner.

"I will have additional funds delivered to you for paying my team of investigators. If they turn up anything I need to know about right away, send an express to Mr. Phillips. I have already spoken with him and he has agreed to quietly send one of his servants to deliver any messages you send him. This way if anyone is watching it will just look like business between brothers."

"Very good, Colonel. I will make sure my warehouse manager knows as well."

"Thank you. I need to get back now. Safe journey to you and your family, Gardiner. I wish you all a happy new year." With another sad glance my way he turned and left.

He might be staying in Meryton, but I did not expect to be seeing much of the colonel for some time to come.


	28. Chapter 28

By the time we had arrived for services on Sunday most people in Meryton had heard all the different versions of what had happened at the militia camp the previous week. I was glad that very few people had taken up the story that the colonel's death resulted from a fight over his wife. Mrs. Forster was a flighty young thing but she and the colonel had appeared very devoted to one another. I did not care to think people might ruin her reputation without cause. Mrs. Bennet, Lady Lucas and a few of the other matrons staunchly defended her whenever that rumor surfaced, and I think some people mentioned it just to see their reactions, not because they actually believed it.

None of the militia attended services this week either. We heard the vicar had agreed to go to the camp later to provide a private service and religious council for the men there. Apparently he had done the same the week before and had seen Colonel Forster respectfully buried in the Meryton graveyard. He had kept the secret well.

It seemed odd to be thinking of parties with all the serious matters going on in the militia camp. All the same, Monday was Twelfth Night and we had been invited to a party at the Long's house. I knew Twelfth Night parties could sometimes become rowdy. I did not know if that would be the case here in Meryton, but it was worth reminding Kitty and Lydia to remain on their best behavior no matter what others chose to do.

I also spoke with Mrs. Bennet about the household accounts. Mrs. Bennet was perfectly willing to have Kitty assist her with the household accounts.

"I had forgotten that once Jane marries and moves away she will no longer be able to help me do the accounts. I suppose it makes sense to have Kitty help because she will be the oldest daughter living at home. But should Lydia not also learn? After all she might marry before Kitty and then where would she be?"

"Lydia will be helping Mr. Bennet with the estate accounts like Elizabeth did before she was married."

"Oh, yes, Lizzy is gone away too. I had almost forgotten with them here so much. I heard her tease her father about not being very good at doing sums and he always calls Kitty and Lydia silly girls. Will he be willing to have Lydia help? She is not smart about books like Lizzy is."

"Both girls have already spent time with him learning how the estate accounts are managed and helping him close out the books for the year. He is learning that his youngest daughters can be more than just silly girls. Kitty has been learning to play chess from him and he is happy that Lydia will be helping with the books."

"Yes, he does seem to be learning to appreciate us all more," she said thoughtfully. "I thought he was hurting Lizzy and Mary's chances of marrying well when he had them reading serious books and taught them chess and how to run an estate, but they both married good men anyway. I suppose it cannot hurt Kitty and Lydia to learn as well. Do you play chess, Miss York?"

"Yes, I do. My father taught me when I was little and he also taught me how to do the estate accounts. I am currently playing a game of chess by post, like your husband, with the Duke of Montrose. They arranged it so I send my moves along with Mr. Bennet's and receive the responses when he does."

"You can play the game by post? I thought you needed a board."

"We still use the board, but we do not have to be sitting together at it. Each square has a number like a house on a city street, and each piece has a name and only certain ways it can move. We send our moves by saying which piece we are moving and what its new address will be. Then the other person responds by doing the same. Some people keep track of the game on a real board and some people can keep a picture of the board and how the pieces have moved in their heads."

"That sounds very complicated."

"It can be, but if you like that kind of game then that is part of the fun."

"I think I shall stick to embroidery."

"Lydia thinks the same as you. She would rather do her needlework than learn the game."

We arranged a time each day that Kitty would come learn about how to run the house and do the accounts. I spoke with Mr. Bennet and he agreed to have Lydia join him each day at that time to work on the estate. It was not the way things might have been done in other houses, but for the Bennet family I felt this arrangement would work. Miss Darcy could spend that time with Mildred or me while she was here, or she could join Kitty with Mrs. Bennet. She would be returning to stay with her brother at the end of the week.

Shortly before they went up to get ready, I had my chat with the girls about their expected behavior at the party They took my warning well. I think they had all been more shaken by Lieutenant Denny's attack than they let on. Knowing that her earlier behavior had been part of what prompted the attack made more of an impact on Lydia than anything else we might have said or done. While she still needed guidance and a reminder now and then, Lydia was ready to act properly and Kitty would follow.

As Twelfth Night parties go, the one at the Long's house that evening was tame. They had dancing later in the evening and some silliness, but the participants never became wild and uninhibited as sometimes happened in the Ton. Mr. Thompson had always been very selective about which Twelfth Night parties his family would attend. My former employer did not wish to expose his wife and daughter to the rowdier elements of many parties one found in London on that night.

We arrived in good time and the three young ladies stuck together as they made the rounds to greet the other guests. I saw Maria Lucas join them as they chatted for a time with Miss Priscilla Long. Charlotte made her way to my station at the side of the room.

"No Colonel Fitzwilliam again tonight, I see," she said after we exchanged greetings.

"And no Lieutenant Andrews," I responded, "although I did not really expect to see either of them. The colonel visited Longbourn briefly a few days ago, hoping to catch Mr. Gardiner before he returned to town. Mr. Gardiner has been assisting in a matter related to the Earl of Matlock. The colonel only stayed a few minutes after completing the business that brought him and he told us the soldiers would be confined to camp until the investigation was complete."

"Surely the colonel, at least, would attend local functions even with his men confined to camp?"

"No, he said he would not have time for social events until the investigation was fully completed _and_ the unit was functioning properly again. He was very clear on that point."

"He is a very dedicated man."

Yes, he is most committed to his duties."

We dropped the subject then as Kitty, Lydia, Miss Darcy and Miss Maria came over to join us.

"Miss York," said Kitty as she came up to me, "they are about to open the pianoforte. Lydia and Maria think Georgie and I should play our new duet. What do you think? Are we ready to perform it?"

"You played it well together when you practiced this morning. You could probably polish it with further practice, but as it is I do not think you will embarrass yourselves by playing. Do you both feel confident in your parts?"

They nodded. The piece was a simple one that would not be appropriate for a London audience, but the neighbors had already shown themselves willing to offer encouragement to Kitty with the simple Christmas piece they had performed the previous week. In this company they would do no harm and could build confidence by performing.

"Wait until some of the other young ladies have performed, then do your duet. You do not want to appear too eager, like you are pushing yourself forward as an expert. Miss Darcy, do you feel up to doing a small solo performance after the duet?"

"I can do that. I picked out and practiced a piece that does not strain my arm just in case I was called on to perform tonight."

"Good. I am sure your brother will be pleased to hear you perform with both hands again. I see he and Elizabeth have arrived."

The young ladies thanked me with their smiles and went off to greet Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.

"I am glad to see Kitty taking such an interest in the pianoforte. I feared she would never find enjoyment in anything beyond bonnets and soldiers." She smiled at the irony of that statement, considering our interest in two particular soldiers. "It is a shame Lydia does not wish to play."

"Kitty will never be an exceptional player, but if she continues to practice she will gain enough proficiency to make a good showing at any event she is likely to attend. Lydia does not wish to practice, although she admits she would enjoy being able to play. It is the work involved to play well that puts her off. I am teaching her to sing. That also requires practice, but it is not as easily discerned as work when you are not tied to a physical instrument. One can practice singing anywhere. Both girls have pleasant voices."

"I will do what I can to encourage them," said Charlotte.

"Thank you. One must be sneaky with Lydia. If she feels forced into an activity she will sometimes take stubbornly against it even when she would really enjoy the activity."

"Eliza can be like that as well, but she is more likely to laugh herself out of her stubbornness. Mrs Gardiner refused to allow her to pout or sulk."

"Lydia is also learning that pouting and sulking gain her little but trouble. It will take time to erase the habit entirely, but she is already much improved."

"I certainly agree. Honestly, I hardly recognize her at times."

The pianoforte was opened at this point and the performances began. Charlotte and I chose to listen quietly as the ladies played their pieces. Miss Darcy and Kitty played very well when their turn arrived. I could hear a few places where the performance could be improved with some practice, but it was still well done and the audience were quick to offer applause. Miss Darcy then did her solo, which was was equally well received. As expected, Mr. Darcy was delighted to see her playing with both hands, finally free of the splint which had been a constant reminder of Mr. Wickham's attack.

After a few other young ladies played their pieces one offered to play some dancing music. The furniture was moved aside and sets formed up. After the first two sets I went over and volunteered to play a few as well. I played two and was relieved by one of the older ladies who said she preferred joining the dance from the bench rather than on the floor. She played several lively pieces, much enjoyed by the company.

Towards the end of the evening Mr. Darcy sought me out. "I wanted to let you know that Elizabeth and I are leaving for London tomorrow and we will be staying until just before Jane's wedding. I have been asked to speak with Bishop Parkhurst and the other church officials who are investigating Mr. Collins. They feel I will be a good witness because I met Collins several times and was present at both parties he helped disrupt and I am also related closely to Lady Catherine. We have decided to take Georgiana with us, with her agreement. She will be ready to leave by nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Do you think Mrs. Annesley is truly well enough to travel at this point? I would not wish to endanger her health by having her travel in the cold and snow if she is not."

"I believe she would tell you she is well enough, Mr. Darcy, but I do not think she really is. She still has a very nasty cough and tires easily. I suspect she might become ill again if exposed to a long cold journey."

"That was my feeling as well, but I have not been around her as much lately and I know you have. I would like to propose a temporary trade in responsibilities, assuming you and Mr. Bennet are willing. As I said, I do not wish to endanger Mrs. Annesley's health. I also do not wish Georgiana to be in our London home alone if Elizabeth and I are out. I would prefer they both have company if they decide to go out shopping or visiting without me. Would you consider coming along with us while Mrs. Annesley watches over Kitty and Lydia?"

"I have no objection if Mr. and Mrs. Bennet do not. Mrs. Annesley is very aware of the lessons the young ladies are working on and there should be few parties or other events to tax her strength until Jane's wedding. She would probably be relieved to avoid the travel."

"Excellent. Shall we go speak with Mr. Bennet?"

Mr. Bennet had no problems with the plan. He knew his daughters would be in good hands with Mildred and he agreed she was probably not well enough yet to travel. Mrs. Bennet was also happy with the idea. She, too, felt that Mildred needed to regain her strength. I think Mrs. Bennet enjoyed having someone to fuss over.

Mr. Darcy asked if I would be comfortable explaining the situation to Mrs. Annesley myself or if he and Elizabeth should stop by Longbourn on their way home from the party. I told him I would speak with her. If she took too great exception to the plan I was sure he would find her packed and ready alongside Miss Darcy the next day. He laughed and told me that was my place.

Considering Miss Darcy's need for an early start the next day, Mr. Bennet decided to leave the party a little early. I did have time to speak with Charlotte and let her know I would be traveling with the Darcys. Elizabeth had apparently already told her about the trip. She wished me a safe journey and I wished her good luck in crossing the path of a certain lieutenant. We were both laughing as we parted ways.


	29. Chapter 29

Mildred _was_ relieved to stay at Longbourn, although she would have taken the trip if Mr. Darcy had asked. Once Miss Darcy was packed and settled for the night, Mildred joined me in my room. I was packed as well and ready for the journey. We discussed Mr. Darcy's usual expectations when Miss Darcy was in London. She was not to leave the house unaccompanied. I quite understood that. It had been the same for the former Miss Thompson when I was her companion. London was a dangerous place for a young woman alone. I mentioned that Mr. Darcy would prefer I accompany his sister even if she went out with Elizabeth.

"He believes there is safety in numbers," she chuckled. "You will also be accompanied by a footman or three and he will want to know exactly where you are going and when you expect to return. If he is not there when you leave, you will give the information to the housekeeper and the butler so it can be passed on to him when he returns. If you are delayed and do not return when you said you would he _will_ worry."

"Does he send out search parties?"

"He might if you are delayed too long. Expect to find him pacing the hall watching for your arrival."

"I will simply do my best not to return late. I would hate to be responsible for a trench in the fine entry of Darcy House." We both chuckled, although it quickly turned into a cough from Mildred. I suggested Mildred not allow the young ladies to persuade her to walk into the village. It might be safer now that the soldiers were confined to camp, but the weather was still very cold and snowy. I would hate for her to catch another chill.

"Trust me," she said, "I do not wish to become ill again. I will find plenty to occupy Kitty and Lydia here at Longbourn."

We parted for the night soon after. I lay awake in bed for a while thinking things over. My feelings about the trip were mixed. I had lived in London too long for it to be the exciting destination I had thought it all those years ago when I came for my first season. While there were points of interest, it was truly a large, ugly, dirty town. At least with the Darcys I would be staying in one of the nicer areas.

I knew Kitty and Lydia would be fine with Mildred, who truly needed to be spared the winter journey. Looking after Miss Darcy would be no problem at all, nor would spending time with Elizabeth. I supposed I was just feeling unsettled to be traveling again so soon. Longbourn had already become a home and despite the problems with the militia I was feeling comfortable in the neighborhood. I quickly pushed aside the thought I might be regretting leaving the vicinity of a certain colonel. After all, it was not as if I would be likely to see him even if I was here. Eventually, I fell asleep, although my thoughts continued to swirl through my dreams.

The next morning dawned clear and crisp, although snow had fallen in the night leaving another inch of white on every flat surface. Our trunks waited just inside the door while Miss Darcy and I broke our fast, said our goodbyes and prepared to bundle ourselves into our warmest wraps and leave when Mr. Darcy arrived. Miss Darcy told me her brother liked to leave as early as possible when traveling. With the sun rising so late in winter it seemed to him that he had already lost half the morning before it was light enough to leave. He was unlikely to wish to linger when he came to pick us up.

Her prediction proved true. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth did not even remove their wraps when they arrived, although they did come in just long enough to wish everyone a good morning while the footmen loaded the two trunks. Within minutes we were in the carriage and heading towards the main road south to London.

I had brought my knitting to keep my hands occupied during the trip. The mitts my sister made for me kept my hands warm enough while leaving my fingers free to work. I had spent quite a bit of time with my knitting lately and had already finished two pair of stockings for myself. I was now engaged in knitting a pair for my sister in a lovely soft green wool I had purchased on the last trip into Meryton.

Miss Darcy chatted happily with her brother and sister. She and Elizabeth planned to visit the modiste to get a start on a new wardrobe. Mrs. Darcy required finer clothing than Miss Elizabeth Bennet had worn. The dressmaker in Meryton had made her a few high quality gowns, but she would certainly need more in her new position. Miss Darcy also wanted to visit with Mary and see her new home and perhaps take a trip to the theater one evening as well as visiting some of her favorite shops.

Elizabeth tried to temper her sister's enthusiasm for outings. "Really, Georgie, we will probably not be able to do everything you are trying to plan in just the week and a half we are here. I also need time at Darcy House to get to know the staff and become comfortable in my new home. I cannot do that if we are constantly running around town."

"Oh, I know," said Miss Darcy. "I am just so excited to be here with you. I want to you to have a good time."

"I can have a good time at home. Coming to a new place is an adventure in itself. Also, a little bird told me that Darcy House has an excellent library."

"It is nothing to Pemberley's library," said Mr. Darcy with a smile, "but I think you will find plenty to read in it. I must ask that if you do go out without me, please take Miss York and at least one footman along with you. I would also appreciate if you let me know where you are going and how long you plan to be gone."

I could not help the smile that took over my face and Mr. Darcy noticed.

"Is there something funny about what I just said, Miss York?"

"I was amused because Mrs. Annesley warned me that you would make exactly that request. Your words were even the same as those she used. She also mentioned that if you are not around you would like us to leave the information with the housekeeper and butler so they may inform you on your return."

He looked a little embarrassed, so I added. "It is good to know you take such an interest in the safety of your family members."

"Yes, Will," Elizabeth agreed. "I appreciate your desire to keep me safe. Although you know I like my freedom I will abide by your request and I am certain Georgie will too."

Miss Darcy nodded. She was already familiar with her brother's protective nature.

"Thank you all," he said.

Miss Darcy spent some time describing the items Elizabeth should order at the modiste and Mr. Darcy and I both lapsed back into silence. Despite the snowy road, we made good time. An inn located in one the larger villages on the main road provided a short respite from travel. We stopped to rest the horses, enjoy a hot drink and replace the now-cold bricks in the carriage floor with freshly heated ones.

After our stop Mr. Darcy began a discussion on the merits of a book of poetry we had all four read. We engaged in a lively exchange of ideas and opinions, made more so by Elizabeth's tendency to offer views that were clearly not her own, with a twinkle in her eye and a teasing tone in her voice. Miss Darcy and I allowed her brother the pleasure of answering those comments, a task he took on with a smile and much energy. Miss Darcy and I would look at each other, and although neither of us actually rolled our eyes, we might as well have. It was clear the newlyweds had engaged in many such conversations before.

We entered London to find the streets turned to wallows of slushy mud. The coachman slowed the horses to a gentle walk so they might better keep their footing in the mess. Snow tumbled down around us even as we arrived at Darcy house, but it melted into the brown mess of the street on contact and barely whitened the dingy gray piles from previous snowfalls ranged along the sidewalk. We took care ascending the front steps to the door. While the ice had been cleared from them, the falling snow made the marble slick.

The butler and housekeeper of Darcy House, Mr. and Mrs. Carson, greeted us at the door as we entered. A maid claimed our outerwear and Mr. Darcy presented the heads of the household staff to their new mistress. Elizabeth received a most respectful greeting which she answered by expressing her pleasure at arriving and a mention of the high opinion Mr. Darcy had expressed about them both.

Mr. Darcy then explained that I was temporarily serving as Miss Darcy's companion while Mrs. Annesley had remained in Hertfordshire, the better to recover from a recent illness. He asked Mrs. Carson to assign me an appropriate room and show me around the house. He said he planned to give his wife a private tour after they had refreshed themselves. They left arm in arm, followed by Miss Darcy on her way to her own room.

Mrs. Carson told a footman where to deliver my trunk and then began our tour of the public rooms. She reminded me of Mrs. Hill at Longbourn in many ways. My impression was that Mrs. Carson ran Darcy House with brisk efficiency and great pride. The looks she received from the staff members we encountered told me she would stand no shirking of duty. They also told me she was held in great respect, not fear, by those under her direction.

The tour she provided was clearly one of orientation, meant to help me find my way around the house where I would serve. A guest in the household would merit a tour designed to impress. I was, of course, impressed anyway. The elegance of the decoration combined with the size and arrangement of the house guaranteed that.

As she led me through the rooms I could see Mrs. Carson was curious how I came to be with the Darcys but did not want to ask, perhaps for fear of giving insult. I decided to volunteer the information.

"I imagine you are wondering how I came to be Miss Darcy's temporary companion."

"Well, yes. I had wondered. Mr. Darcy mentioned Mrs. Annesley has been ill?" She left the question hanging as a gentle request for more.

"Yes, she caught a bad chill around Christmas time. Although she has recovered from the fever, she still has a lingering cough and tires easily. Mr. Darcy did not wish to put her into a position where she might relapse, such as traveling to London in the snow and cold. He asked if I would take her place for this short visit while she takes on my duties. I am governess to Mrs. Darcy's two youngest sisters. Mrs. Annesley and I have been working together to guide all three young ladies while Miss Darcy stayed with the Bennets following her brother's wedding."

"Are Mrs. Darcy's sisters about the same age as Miss Darcy?"

"Miss Lydia Bennet, the youngest, is fifteen and Miss Kitty is sixteen. The next oldest, Miss Mary, recently married Dr. Burrows and is here in town. Mrs. Darcy was is second eldest of the five and the eldest, Miss Jane Bennet will be marrying Mr. Bingley in a little less than two weeks."

Mrs. Carson seemed a little friendlier now that I had given her some of the answers she desired. I had hoped that would be the case. She did appear inclined to gossip, but I was certain she wanted to know about her new mistress and her family. If she brought up the subject later I would tell her more.

After going through the public rooms, she showed me the location of the servant's stairs and led me to my room. I found it comfortable and a little bit larger than my room at Longbourn. My trunk had already been brought up, so I made short work of unpacking before I changed out of my traveling clothes and into one my nicer day dresses. I did not want to appear shabby in this fine house.

I was just wondering if I should find Miss Darcy when she came to find me. She checked to make sure I was well situated and happy with the room. I assured her I was happy with the assignment. I took my knitting bag when we went out because she wished to spend some time at the pianoforte. On the way, she showed me how to find her room before we headed back downstairs. I had seen the music room briefly on my tour, but found it even more impressive when Miss Darcy sat down at the pianoforte and began to play. It was an exceptional instrument with a lovely tone. Even a poor performer would sound good playing it and Miss Darcy was far from being a poor performer. I enjoyed the chance to sit and knit to the sounds of beautiful music.

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy joined us after a while. Elizabeth was delighted by the pianoforte as well as Miss Darcy's skill in playing. Miss Darcy jumped up and practically dragged her sister to the instrument, insisting that she take a turn while Mr. Darcy laughed at the sight of them. While not having quite the skill of her sister, Elizabeth was still a competent player. She played a merry tune that set the room ringing and all of us smiling. The two of them took turns until dinner while Mr. Darcy and I enjoyed the show.

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy had requested a simple dinner, which would be their norm when not entertaining. I enjoyed the meal, but thought that Longbourn's cook might be just slightly more skilled. That was certainly not a matter for complaint. The food at Longbourn was some of the best I had ever eaten. To be close to that standard was still excellent.

Over dinner the Darcys discussed their plans for the next day. Elizabeth and Miss Darcy would visit the modiste so Elizabeth could be measured and place orders for a few gowns. By going right away they would have time to do at least one fitting and possibly complete a few items before we returned to Hertfordshire.

"I will buy a few items because you insist," Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy. "I refuse to order an extensive wardrobe that I do not really need."

"I just want you to feel you look your best whenever we choose to go out. We will not be socializing much on this visit, but later we may attend events where you will need fancier gowns. There is no need to be miserly in your purchases."

"I will help her with the ordering," Miss Darcy told them. "I have a good idea of what she will need in London and Miss York knows as well. It is a little different than in Meryton."

"Oh very well, wise ones, guide me through the ordering of my finery." Elizabeth laughed in mock surrender.

"I will be meeting with Bishop Parkhurst tomorrow as he requested. Otherwise I would accompany you."

"Really, Will! To the modiste? You know you usually avoid such havens of feminine frippery," Elizabeth teased.

"I have been known to make exceptions," he said with a slight bow of the head. "Unfortunately tomorrow will not be one of them. Collins must be dealt with, so I must go to my meeting. I hope their investigation will not be drawn out too long. I also need to speak with my solicitor here in town. Some of my uncle's creditors have continued to harass Richard despite Mr. Phillips' warning to them. I need to bring bigger guns to handle the problem."

I had not realized the colonel was still being bothered about his father's debts in addition to all the problems he was dealing with for the militia unit. I also hoped Mr. Darcy could ease at least that part of his cousin's burden. First, though, he did have to testify regarding Mr. Collins. I wondered what the bishop had thought when he heard about the blond wig and the colored clothes as a disguise. I hope it made him laugh, even if it was with disgust.

My duty was clear. Tomorrow I would attend Miss Darcy and Elizabeth as they visited the modiste. Between us, I was sure Miss Darcy and I could convince Elizabeth to order an appropriate wardrobe for the wife of a wealthy man.


	30. Chapter 30

Mr. Darcy had sent a note the day before requesting an appointment with Madame Claudette, the modiste Miss Darcy generally visited. Madame responded offering any time before noon if Mrs. Darcy wished to visit on Wednesday. I was sure that between the lure of Darcy money and the opportunity to be the first to serve the new Mrs. Darcy and therefore have the best gossip, anytime _after_ noon would have worked as well. We got an early start anyway.

We set out in the Darcy carriage with two of Mr. Darcy's footmen assigned to follow and protect us. The poor young men were given seats just inside the door of Madame's shop to wait while we were taken back to be served. Fortunately they were near the window and could watch the passersby or talk together, otherwise it would have been a long boring wait. Young men would not use knitting or embroidery to pass their time.

I did have my knitting to work on while Elizabeth and Miss Darcy were both measured. For Miss Darcy it was just a quick check that her measurements had not changed since the last visit. For Elizabeth they needed the full baseline set of measurements. I am sure they hoped this would start her off as a customer for years to come.

After the measurements came the perusal of the pattern books. Armed with a collection of fabric swatches from the draper, Madame and her assistant pointed out the most fashionable cuts for necklines, sleeves, hems and more. Elizabeth quickly established her preference for simplicity of design. Madame was quick to point out places where delicate embroidery or fine details of pleats or insets could enhance a gown better than an abundance of ruffles and lace. Once they had determined Elizabeth's tastes, Madame and her assistant were able to present several appropriate options for gowns and fabrics that showcased their own good taste as well as business acumen. I could see Madame quickly realized that the new Mrs. Darcy would not be pushed into buying anything merely because it was labeled "fashionable". Elizabeth was making a good impression as a woman of sense.

"I hope you two are happy," Elizabeth told us after we had convinced her to order a selection of gowns for different occasions. You have bullied and badgered me into making all these choices and now I am exhausted." She gave a huge theatrical sigh, prompting us to laugh.

"Not too exhausted to go for a treat, I hope," said Miss Darcy. "Mrs. Annesley and I found a small cafe near here that has the best chocolate."

"Hmm. I suppose I could be persuaded to indulge in chocolate. A hot drink sounds just the ticket after all this fuss about frippery."

"You know your mother will be thrilled to both hear and brag about your visit to Madame Claudette's shop," I told her with a chuckle.

"She will indeed. Perhaps some time I will bring her here to have a gown made up."

"Oh, yes," said Georgiana. "She would just love an evening gown designed to match the topaz necklace set you gave her for Christmas!"

"I am pleased you and Will had no objection to her receiving that set. I know they were your mother's jewels."

"How could we object after seeing what joy the gift brought to your mother. She has been so kind and welcoming to us. I know my mother would have approved."

Elizabeth smiled, asking, "Is this cafe close enough to walk?"

"It is a little more than two blocks away."

"Let us gather our honor guard and go then."

Elizabeth made arrangements with Madame for a fitting later in the week. We collected our outerwear and the two footmen before picking our way carefully down the sidewalk to the cafe. Miss Darcy had not overstated the excellence of the chocolate. We paired our drinks with a selection of delicate pastries that melted in the mouth.

"So, Elizabeth, do these pastries make up for the trouble of ordering a new wardrobe?"

"Nearly, Sophia, although not quite on their own. This chocolate tips the scales. Good choice, Georgie."

"I hoped you would enjoy it. It is a pity Will does not care for chocolate. He needs a treat every now and again."

"He would enjoy the pastries and they do serve coffee. I am sure we could convince my husband to keep us company here."

We chatted about the dress choices Elizabeth and Miss Darcy had made while we enjoyed our treat. After some persuasion Elizabeth had accepted my superior knowledge of appropriate clothing for a lady of the Ton during our time at the modiste.

" _I do not want to give the impression of being a poor country girl who cannot wait to spend her husband's money on clothing," she had argued._

" _If you do not purchase enough of the right type of gowns, you will appear to be the poor country girl who does not know enough to be a proper wife to a man of his consequence. You need to give the appearance of absolute confidence in your new role and a large part of that is how you dress and present yourself. You do not have to behave like the ladies of the Ton, but you must at least dress the part so that people do not question your husband's good judgment in marrying you. I understand the Duchess of Montrose had offered to sponsor you and introduce you during the season. Your choices will reflect on her as well. Do not let your stubborn nature prevent you from doing what is right."_

" _Miss York is right, Lizzy. Mrs. Annesley has also told me that the way I dress and present myself is a large part of the battle when dealing with the Ton. Most will judge me by my attire before they ever actually speak with me."_

With these arguments and a few more, as Elizabeth did share Lydia's stubborn ways, we finally convinced her to place a substantial order, much to the delight of Madame Claudette. She did not order quite as much as we suggested, but she did order far more than she had originally planned.

As both the plate of pastries and our cups neared empty, Miss Darcy suggested a little more shopping as long as we were out. Elizabeth decided it would be better to return to Darcy House. She did not know how long Mr. Darcy's interview with the bishop would last. Knowing his protective nature, she did not want him to arrive before we did and then worry we had run into trouble while shopping.

"It would hardly do on our first shopping trip in town," she laughed. "He might forbid us to ever go out again."

"Or at least not without his company and an armed guard," I added.

Miss Darcy rolled her eyes at us even as she agreed, "I suppose you are both right. There is no point having him panic without a reason."

"I would prefer he not panic at all, reason or no," Elizabeth said more seriously. "He is already very concerned about the situation with the earl. Anything I can do to ease his mind I will."

"I had forgotten about that," said Miss Darcy. "Could they really claim payments of my uncle's debts from Will or Richard?"

"Probably not from Will. The Darcy estate has no monetary ties to the Fitzwilliam estate despite the family connection. There is still a possibility they can go after Richard, because he is potentially an heir to Matlock. Will does not think it is legal, but a claim against him _might_ be upheld. If they were not gambling debts Will might pay them just to resolve the situation and take the pressure off of Richard. I suspect he will pay any of the tradesmen near Matlock any legitimate debts for goods or services received. He will probably also make sure the servants who were dismissed were properly paid before they left. He will _not_ waste our family's funds on what he considers 'debts of _dis_ honor' and I agree with him completely."

Miss Darcy and I nodded. Most would consider him foolish to pay even the tradesmen and servants, but I knew he was a kind man who would not feel right allowing honest people to be hurt by the poor choices of his family members. Mildred told me he had done something similar for those who had been cheated by Mr. Wickham. When Mr. Darcy paid Mr. Wickham's debts he notified the creditors it was a one-time payment and any further credit they chose to extend him was at their own risk. He had refused to pay Mr. Wickham's gambling debts as well. He would probably insist on the same conditions at Matlock, although it seemed unlikely the earl would return to request any further credit.

We finished our treat and Elizabeth sent one of the two footman off to where the coachman was waiting to have him come pick us up. We rearranged our warm outer garments, which we had shed while eating, then headed out the door, still chatting. Our second footman followed behind. As we stood on the sidewalk waiting for our carriage to pull up I asked, "Should we send a note to Mary and see if she would like us to visit tomorrow, Miss Darcy?"

"Yes, I would like that," she replied.

"Miss Darcy, is it?" said a masculine voice from beside us. "Matlock said you were a pretty thing and he was correct."

I turned and recognized Lord Willoughby. Elizabeth and I both stepped between him and Miss Darcy. Elizabeth may not have known who he was as I did, but her protective instincts were fully engaged.

"You have nothing to say to Miss Darcy, Lord Willoughby," I said firmly, giving Elizabeth the information she needed while trying to warn him off.

"Oh, but she is my betrothed. Her uncle and I arranged it." He stepped forward, but Elizabeth and I both stood our ground.

"Her uncle has no right to make any arrangements for her," I said. "He is not her guardian and her brother would never consent to have her marry someone like you."

"Someone like me? I am an earl. Who are you to address me as if we are acquainted?"

"The more shame to you that you do not recognize me. It is to my shame we are not merely acquainted, but related, though the connection is distant. Would it were more so."

"I declare, you must be Damien York's daughter."

"I am."

"Well, you are of little consequence, as is your opinion. Now step aside. I wish to speak with my future wife."

"You will not be marrying her," said Elizabeth. "My husband, her brother, will not allow it under any circumstances."

"Matlock owes me. I want her dowry."

"Too bad. You already stole my dowry and my sister's. That should have been enough to keep you in funds for the rest of your life. It is not Miss Darcy's problem that you chose to gamble away everything you inherited. If you were fool enough to loan money or wager with the Earl of Matlock or his son, then you will just have to whistle for your money like everyone else. They have fled England, I hear, and it will be difficult to make them pay."

Our footman had also stepped up to guard Miss Darcy. Lord Willoughby had made no further attempt to get near her, so the footman simply stood beside us, ready to take action if needed. Our carriage arrived and Elizabeth pulled Miss Darcy in with her. Lord Willoughby watched as I also joined the others in the carriage.

"I will have what I am owed," he said as our footman closed the carriage door. We could not leave fast enough to suit us.

"We do not have to tell Will, do we? Nothing happened," Miss Darcy said in a rush. "I do not want him to worry."

"Yes, Georgie, we must tell him. He cannot protect us if he is not aware of the threat. Lord Willoughby has no claim on us, but he may choose to cause trouble."

"Miss Darcy, your brother trusts us. We have to act accordingly and tell him when problems arise. He would feel even worse if harm befell you and he had not even known there was danger."

"You are right," she said with a sigh. "I just wanted to spare him."

"We know," said Elizabeth. "I wish we could avoid worrying him, but there is no help for it now."

We arrived at Darcy House to find Mr. Darcy entering just ahead of us. He stopped in the entry to greet us as the servants took our our wraps. Our faces must have betrayed us because he took a long at each of us then said, "I can tell something has happened. We would probably be most comfortable in the drawing room." He motioned for us to lead the way.

After we had all taken seats Elizabeth began. "We had an unpleasant encounter with Lord Willoughby just before we returned today."

"Willoughby? What did he do? What did he want?"

"He happened past us on the sidewalk outside a cafe where we had stopped for a treat. Sophia had just addressed Georgie as 'Miss Darcy' and he heard. He stopped and tried to speak with her, insisting she was his betrothed. Sophia recognized him and told he had not business with any of us. He insisted that the Earl of Matlock owed him money and he would have Georgie's dowry in recompense. He made no threatening actions, but his conversation was unsettling."

"Where were the footmen?"

"One had gone to get the carriage and the other stood with us to guard Georgiana. He was ready to step in if Lord Willoughby had physically threatened us."

"This is intolerable. If I had my uncle here I would strangle him with my own hands. He and that idiot cousin of ours simply have no concept of the harm they have done!"

"We were not injured, Will" said Elizabeth soothingly.

"You were threatened. You felt uncomfortable. I can see it in your expressions. That cannot be allowed to continue."

"Mr. Darcy," I said. "If Lord Willoughby is so very far in debt is there anyway to see if someone is willing to call in the debts and send him off to debtor's prison?"

"That or threaten him with it," Mr. Darcy said thoughtfully. "I think I must go see my godfather. I had intended to speak with him while we were here anyway. I think I will send a note over right now asking if he is free for me to visit this afternoon." He looked at each of us in turn. "You are all truly well?"

"Yes, Will," said the other two and I simply nodded. Meeting Lord Willoughby had stirred up many memories for me of the pain and confusion following my father's death. I was angry and unsettled, but I had not been harmed and neither had my charge. All would be well. I trusted Mr. Darcy to protect us.


	31. Chapter 31

Mr. Darcy retired to his study briefly to pen a note to the Duke of Montrose requesting an interview. After sending it off with a messenger he joined us in the drawing room again.

"With the news about Willoughby to distract me, I forgot to ask after the success of your shopping trip. Have you ordered a new wardrobe, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth smiled, "Georgie and Sophia convinced me to order far more than I had intended. I shudder to think of the bill you will receive."

"Elizabeth," he said seriously, "I will not have you working under a misguided notion of thrift. We can well afford a new wardrobe and more for you."

"I just did not wish people to say I married you for your money," she said quietly.

"We both know that is not the case. Let others say what they will on that point. What _I_ do not want them to say is that I cannot afford to clothe my wife properly. We have standards to uphold."

"My advisers convinced me on that point. I will look the part of the great Mr. Darcy's wife at all social occasions. Sophia and Georgiana made sure of that."

"Very good. You mentioned a cafe earlier. Did you stop for a treat?"

"Yes, Will," said Miss Darcy. "I took them to a cafe Mrs. Annesley and I discovered two blocks away from Madame Claudette's shop. They have excellent chocolate and simply scrumptious pastries. We were hoping you might join us there some time."

"As you wish. Pick a day before we leave and I will try these scrumptious pastries, although I think I will pass on the chocolate."

"They serve coffee as well if that is more to your taste," said Elizabeth. "Now, we have your promise to go back with us. It is a settled thing. Please tell us, how did your interview with Bishop Parkhurst go?"

"It went well, I think. I met with Bishop Parkhurst, Bishop Markis and Bishop Gamblin. They are working together to determine Collins' fitness to remain a clergyman as well as whether Lady Catherine should retain the rights to the Hunsford living. Apparently there were some irregularities in the matter of Collins' ordination. Bishop Parkhurst was also not consulted as he should have been when Collins was appointed to the living."

"What do you mean by irregularities?" Elizabeth asked.

"They are trying to confirm that he was actually properly ordained. While he did attend university as required for the degree, his grades were quite poor. The bishop he claims examined him died a few months ago and was fairly ill off and on for several months before that. They suspect Collins may have paid a fee to someone impersonating the bishop and it appears Collins turned to that person for confirmation when he was granted the living, going around Bishop Parkhurst who should have done the approval since Hunsford is in his area of oversight."

"Would Mr. Collins really be _that_ stupid?" Elizabeth began and then quickly answered herself, "Of course, he is. I am speaking of the man who tried to disguise himself by not wearing black. I am _so very glad_ Mama was not able to insist any of us marry him. What will they do?"

"Bishop Parkhurst went to Hunsford last week and to ask Collins about his time at the university, his examination and his appointment. The bishop examined him as he would a new candidate for ordination and Collins failed miserably. His misguided faith in my aunt aside, he is simply not fit for the job."

"Do they plan to remove him from the living?"

"Yes, that is what they indicated. While the person granting a living cannot rescind it, the bishop in charge of that area can. The problem is then one of how he should be replaced. The estate of Rosings Park owns the advowson to appoint a clergyman to the living, but the bishop must approve the appointment. Quite simply put, they do not want another toad-eating idiot in that position and Lady Catherine has a history of appointing that kind of person to the living."

"Can they take away Aunt Catherine's right to make the appointment?" Miss Darcy asked.

"That is a more complex issue, but the simple answer is no. What they hope to do is find a way around her. For the time being that means Collins will not be removed but suspended and the curate will continue to serve the people of the Hunsford area while they complete their investigation into how Collins was ordained and whether others may have been improperly ordained as well. Bishop Parkhurst did try to speak with Lady Catherine while he was there, but she refused to allow him an audience."

"It sounds like quite a problem. Could someone actually get away with impersonating a bishop and charging fees for a fake examination? Are there not records that must be filled out?" I asked.

"There are," Mr. Darcy answered, "but an enterprising scoundrel under the guise of a real bishop who is incapacitated could probably manage a bit of forgery and either take in idiots of Collins' type making them believe they were ordained when they were not or set up people who knowingly go around the system because they do not have the skills to pass. It is just the kind of thing I would have expected Wickham to do given the opportunity. It would not bring in a great deal of money, but it could be enough to be worth the bother of the scheme. I knew a few moderately well-off men who needed to be ordained to gain a lucrative family living, but did not want to put in the work to actually earn the degree. I could see some of them paying a fee for a fake examination and forged records."

"That is just sad," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "To think of such things happening even in the church."

"Yes, it is," he agreed, "but it does happen. I have been very careful with the two appointments I have made. Despite my father's desire to have Wickham take the Kympton living I would never have appointed him even if he somehow did manage to become ordained. He was not a man to entrust with the spiritual care of others. Many do not think the same way I do about their livings. Often it is just a way to provide an income to a family member or friend." He sighed. "Enough of that. Collins is unlikely to ever give another sanctioned sermon in Hunsford. I do not know if he will face charges of any kind, although it is my hope that they can prove he was knowingly impersonating a clergyman."

"Is that against the law?" asked Miss Darcy.

"I do not know. I hope so. I would like to see him fined or given some other consequences. Actually, if he were not so very stupid I would enjoy seeing him sent off to some hostile, untamed land as a missionary. But that would be punishing the natives of whatever land they sent him to, while he might regard it as an honor."

One of the footmen knocked at the door, interrupting our laughter. He brought in a return note for Mr. Darcy from the duke. After scanning the note, Mr. Darcy said, "My godfather has asked me to come over right away. I will plan on returning for dinner."

"Please give him our regards," said Elizabeth.

"I will. May I ask that you please stay home this afternoon? I would rather you do not go out without me until I have a plan for dealing with Lord Willoughby."

"Of course." Elizabeth agreed.

He made his farewells and headed off to the duke's residence. Elizabeth decided to meet with Mrs. Carson to ask questions about how the house was normally run. Miss Darcy and I headed to the music room so she could practice for a while. Her arm was becoming stronger now, so she could play a little longer before it began to ache. I expected to make good progress on my sister's stockings while listening.

0o0o0o0

Mr. Darcy did return in time for dinner, but only just. The snow was coming down thickly, he told us, making even short trips more difficult and dangerous. If it continued, he did not think it would be wise for us to attempt a visit with Mary the next day.

"The horses had a great deal of difficulty just bringing me home at a very slow walk this evening. The sidewalks will be just as dangerous for walking and I would prefer you not walk that far in town anyway. She may be no further away than the dower house is from Longbourn as the crow flies, but this is not the country and we cannot fly like crows."

Elizabeth and Miss Darcy agreed with him, although their disappointment was plain to see. I had also been looking forward to visiting with Mary and seeing her new home. Hopefully we would not be snowed in for the remainder of our time in town.

"I have brought the duke up to date on all our news," Mr. Darcy continued. "He was, of course, already aware of the smuggling operation through his government contacts. Smuggling is a constant problem. A smuggling operation of some sort is nearly always going on in any coastal town, but to have the operation managed by the colonel of a military unit using government men and resources is rather an embarrassment. Despite the services our men perform for us on the continent, the regular army is not always looked on with favor here at home and the militia even less so."

"Will the reactions in the government create more problems for Richard?" asked Elizabeth.

"He will be under much scrutiny. It is to his favor that he had been investigating the issue with Colonel Forster before the scandal actually broke and that he had been reporting their findings to his superiors during that time. Colonel Mallow will bear the brunt of the military's displeasure. Richard is taking the hero's role, although that does not reduce the severity of the problems he still needs to clean up."

"Does he have the support of his superiors?" I asked.

"From what the duke can tell, he does. My godfather had made known his support as well as emphasizing Richard's disassociation with the Earl of Matlock including the break in our family the duke himself had spread around the Ton. Otherwise the connection to Matlock might have counted heavily against Richard."

"That is right, Richard said our uncle was involved in Mr. Hampton's connection to the smugglers," Miss Darcy spoke up. "Everything is so tangled together."

"In a good connection for us, the duke is already tracing hints Lord Willoughby may also have been involved through his dealings with our uncle."

"What would happen if they could prove he is connected?" I asked.

"He would have to be tried before the House of Lords. That could go either way, but with the Duke of Montrose against him he is sure to face sanctions of some sort if a clear connection to the smugglers can be proved. My godfather was already looking into the identities of Willoughby's creditors because of the association with my uncle. He and I will see if any of them is willing to send Willoughby to debtor's prison."

"It disgusts me that he has simply thrown away everything my father worked so hard to build. With even a minimum of care Stone Landing would have provided him enough to live at ease for a lifetime and could have revived his family estate as well, even without the funds intended for my mother, sister and me. It is such a waste!"

I finally gave in to the bitterness that had been rising in me since our encounter earlier that day. It had been easier to disregard when I only heard of his activities. Being faced with the man who had chosen to leave us to ruin, feeling his scorn and hearing his claim to the inheritance of another innocent made me ill at heart.

"There is so much we could all wish changed or undone in our pasts," said Mr. Darcy kindly. "You have done well with the circumstances you were dealt, supporting your mother and sister despite losing nearly everything. You helped Miss Thompson through a successful come out to a good marriage. Above all, you can have no idea the extent of the difference you have made to the Bennet family even aside from the almost miraculous improvements to Kitty and Lydia's manners."

"Oh, yes, Sophia. My father would probably never have addressed the circumstances of the entail or his lack of a will if your story had not made him truly understand what we might have faced at his death, particularly coming after he had met Mr. Collins. My uncles have been trying to convince him to take action for years to no effect, not to mention all the times I have asked him to make the effort to reassure my mother."

"I was there with him after we interviewed you," said Mr. Darcy. "I have never seen a man more shaken and humbled than Mr. Bennet was at that moment."

"I had never intended to have any such effect," I said. Their insistence that I was responsible for the changes confused me. I had merely answered the questions asked of me in the interview, after all.

"That is probably what finally broke through my father's indolent attitude," Elizabeth told me. " _You_ were not pushing him to do anything. You simply told your story. The parallels between your situation and ours were finally too much for him to ignore."

"You said in the interview that your father assumed he would live long enough to see you and your sister well married. Mr. Bennet said he had been working from the same assumption all these years. He believed if Mrs. Bennet survived him one of his married daughters would care for her. Looking at the terms of the entail or saving money for the family just did not seem worth the effort."

Elizabeth added, "You were not there during our family meeting the evening you arrived. My mother broke down and wept with relief at Will's reassurance that Mr. Collins could not throw her out of the house with only the clothes on her back. She had truly believed that would be the case. My father, and in fact all of us, had heard her fuss about being thrown into the hedgerows for years, but had never realized the depth of her fears. She had no idea how the entailment worked and my father just laughed at her when she would ask."

"I must say that even knowing how the entailment on my father's estate was meant to work, my mother and I were surprised at how much we lost due to the poorly worded will. You mother was right to be afraid. If knowledge of our experience has helped your family than I am glad."

"Sophia, it has helped in ways you cannot see because you did not know us before that day. With her greatest fear finally addressed, my mother has calmed substantially, returning to the loving person I remembered from my early childhood. Your way of involving her in the education of Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana has helped her feel valued and respected. It has even given my father a better opinion of her skills."

"Elizabeth is correct," Mr. Darcy said. "Mrs. Bennet was both frantic and frightening in her efforts to marry off her daughters as quickly as possible to ensure their security and hers. If I had met the family under other circumstances I might have been driven off due to her mother's behavior before I discovered how much I care for Elizabeth."

"I know we all wish you could have what was rightfully yours restored to you or that your family could have lived out the kind of life you were brought up to expect. At the same time I am _very_ glad you came to my family when you did."

I did not know how to respond, particularly to Elizabeth's last comment. I had not thought my mere presence could have so profound an effect on the lives of others. I must have begun to cry, for my cheeks felt wet. Miss Darcy walked around the table and sat in a seat next to me. She wrapped her arm around me, gently squeezing, and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"You are part of our extended family now, you know. We will look after you much as you look after us," she said soothingly.

I nodded, then dried my eyes with my handkerchief. It was not like me to break down this way. I needed to bring myself back under control.

"This was the first time you have encountered Willoughby since your father's estate was settled, was it not?" Mr. Darcy quietly asked.

I nodded.

"I understand how that can stir emotions you thought long buried. We understand and do not think any less of you for being upset."

"I will be well now," I said, sniffling a little as I dried my eyes once again.

"Yes, you will," he said with a kind smile.

Miss Darcy gave me one more gentle squeeze, then returned to her seat to finish the meal. By unspoken agreement the conversation turned to safer topics, like the weather and shopping. We would not return to the subject of Lord Willoughby again that evening.


	32. Chapter 32

The snow continued all night long. The next morning even the streets gleamed white when we looked out the windows to check on conditions. For a short time, London was a beautiful city.

Our surprise was almost comical when Dr. and Mrs. Burrows were announced as we had just settled down in the library after breakfast. Once the initial surprise faded Elizabeth and Miss Darcy greeted their sister with bear hugs and their brother with joyful expressions of welcome.

"I have two patients I promised to check on today. As long as I had to drive by here coming and going I decided to bring Mary so she could keep company with you. I take it you have no objection?" he said with a laugh.

"We would have objected if you had not," answered Miss Darcy.

Dr. Burrows took a few moments to check Miss Darcy's arm, pleased that she had not overused or re-injured it since they removed the splint. He determined it was healing very well. He also expressed his approval that Mildred had not made the journey into town. He felt she would make a full recovery by resting and staying warm. Having Mrs. Bennet fuss over her a bit would not hurt either.

Once the doctor felt sufficiently warmed again he headed back out into the snow to visit his two patients. Elizabeth told him we expected him to return to us safely and to join us for dinner at Darcy House that evening.

Although it had only been two weeks since we had last seen Mary, all of us were glad to be in her company again. We had planned to spend the morning reading, but that was when we thought ourselves snowed in and out of touch. Now that Mary was here she would need a tour of the house, a turn at the pianoforte and a telling of all the events in Meryton in the few days since she had left.

Elizabeth started by offering the tour. "Georgiana will need to guide us," she said laughing, "for I have only lived here for a single full day. I am sure to become lost if I attempt to be the guide."

"I know exactly what you mean," replied Mary. "My new home is not nearly as big as Darcy House, but it still took several days to feel comfortable in it. The layout is different from Longbourn but my habits are engrained. If I am not really thinking about where I am I still turn left at the bottom of the stairs when I am headed to the dining room. I find myself standing in front of Daniel's consulting room door wondering why it is not the dining room."

"Exactly!" said Elizabeth triumphantly. "I had to follow Will down just this morning to make sure I could find the breakfast room."

Georgiana gave us all a tour that was more intimate than the tour Mrs. Carson would give to impress a guest, but more detailed than the orientation tour I had received. Miss Darcy had a lifetime of memories in this house and some of them were told as she introduced us to the rooms and their contents. She had no direct memories of her mother, but there were a few stories she had been told by others and associated with certain items. Her father had become a distant memory, part of her early childhood. He had a place in the library and a few of the other rooms. Her strongest memories were of the times she had spent here with her brother. She finished the tour in the music room with the story of how he had presented the beautiful pianoforte as a gift for her twelfth birthday.

"I had no idea he had planned the gift. We had a pianoforte here already, but it was an older instrument that frequently went out of tune. I felt that my playing was suffering because nothing sounded quite right even when I played it as it should be. Apparently my brother felt the same, although he did not tell me so. He custom ordered this new instrument and arranged for it to be delivered and set up in here on my birthday while he took me out for a treat at Gunter's."

"How did you find out?" asked Mary.

"Oh, I knew he was up to something when he started exchanging nods and significant looks with Mr. Carson when we came back to the house, but I had no idea what it was. He told me he had a few small gifts for me in the drawing room, so we went in there. I opened the packages he gave me. There were some ribbons, a few books, some lovely colored silks for my embroidery and then the final package. It contained a collection of sheet music I had wanted to learn. I was delighted by the gifts and told him so. He asked me if I would play something for him right then. The old pianoforte had sounded particularly out of tune the previous day and I did not want to spoil any of my new music by playing on it right away, but he insisted. 'It will sound perfect,' he told me. 'Trust me.' He seemed to want it so much I could not resist his request, so we came here to the music room and I almost fell down in a faint. Instead of the clunky, old, out of tune instrument I expected there was _this_." She caressed the top of the elegant instrument made of dark wood with painted carvings along the sides. It was as much a joy to look at as it was to hear and play.

"I played for him happily and he was correct because it did sound perfect. Practicing was always easier after that somehow. I enjoyed it because this pianoforte was made for me."

"What a lovely memory," said Mary, also running her hand across the top of the instrument.

"Try playing it, Mary," Miss Darcy insisted. "It makes everything sound beautiful."

Mary protested only for a few minutes before she gave in and sat at the bench. She played a run of scales just to get a feel for the keyboard. The notes floated in the air, pure and true. Taking a deep breath she launched into one of the pieces Miss Darcy had worked with her to improve technique on. She had clearly been practicing since I last heard her play it, for her grasp of the dynamics had improved and the difference between this instrument and the old one at the Bennet house made it a thing of beauty.

"Very well done, Mary," I congratulated her. "While the instrument helped, I can tell you have practiced."

She smiled. "Daniel engaged an instructor for me and I will have lessons twice a week. He had not actually walked into the music room since he purchased the house, so he had forgotten there was a pianoforte there. It is much nicer instrument than the one at Longbourn, although not quite of the quality of this one. Now, you play us a piece, Sophia."

I admit I had wanted a turn as well, so I took up the offer. I played one of my favorite party pieces and gloried in the sounds. When I finished I gave way to Elizabeth. We spent over two hours in the music room, taking turns playing our favorite music. We enjoyed the time immensely. Mr. Darcy did too, for at some point he had cracked open the door between the drawing room and the music room and had taken a seat on the other side where he could listen to the music while reading. Elizabeth finally spotted him and pointed him out to the rest of us.

"A spy is among us," she said with a laugh.

"You know you are welcome to come in here, Will," Miss Darcy added. "We are not telling secrets, just playing."

He opened the door further and looked in at us. "I did not wish to disturb the performance by coming in the room. I was also not spying. I just enjoyed the musical accompaniment to my book." He held up the book he had been reading as proof.

"I was only teasing, dear," said Elizabeth, walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I know," he answered, smiling at her. She patted his shoulder gently and then returned to the instrument. It was her turn and she played a love song for her husband.

We each took another turn after that, then decided it was probably time for some luncheon. While we had a light meal we complimented him on his good taste in choosing a pianoforte for Miss Darcy.

"I would have been far more inclined to practice if I had such a fine instrument at Longbourn," Elizabeth said with a chuckle.

"I know Mary had mentioned wanting lessons one day at the dower house. Would you like to have an instructor come regularly when we return to town? There is also a woman who gave Georgie lessons when we stayed at Pemberley. I can arrange for her to come if you would like."

"I think I would like lessons when we get to Pemberley. Mary told us her husband engaged a teacher for her to go along with the pianoforte he did not realize he already owned."

"Yes," said Mary. "He had not really paid attention to the music room when he purchased the house and the pianoforte was among the furnishings that were part of the sale. You should have seen the look of surprise on his face when I showed it to him. He had been thinking he would need to buy one for me."

"I am glad that worked out for you." Mr. Darcy said with a chuckle. "So the duties of running the house will not be so difficult as you feared? You will still have time to practice?"

"We talked about this while I was staying at the dower house with Georgie," she explained to Elizabeth and me. She turned back to him and answered. "You were correct that a large part of running the house comes from trusting the servants. I will have time to practice, although not as much as I did before. With an instructor I will still make progress because I am practicing correctly."

"Are you getting along with the housekeeper?" asked Miss Darcy.

"Well enough for now," she said with a slight frown. "You warned me that I would need someone who would respect my position and not look down on me for my age or background. Mrs. Hilliard has not made any comments that are disrespectful or countermanded my instructions, but I do often feel she is looking at me with disdain. I was actually hoping that I could hire Mrs. Evans when you decide to leave the dower house." She looked at Mr. Darcy uncertainly.

"I have no objections. I intended to ensure she had work she would enjoy for as long as she wishes to continue working and to provide her with a pension when she no longer could. If you wish to hire her under the same conditions and she accepts your offer, then I will be happy to have her go with you when our time at the dower house is up. Have you spoken with your husband about this?"

"Yes, I have. He agreed that I needed to be completely comfortable with my housekeeper and said I could offer the position to Mrs. Evans when you no longer needed her at the dower house."

"Very good, then. Would you like me to see if she is interested in the prospect of the position? I can ask when we return, or you can if you prefer since you will be there for Jane's wedding as well."

"I will come ask her while we visit for the wedding."

"If she decides she does not wish to come to town I think you might do well to ask Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls for other possible candidates." Elizabeth suggested.

"I know Mrs. Hill is your housekeeper at Longbourn, but who is Mrs. Nicholls?" I asked.

"She is the housekeeper at Netherfield," Elizabeth answered, "and is a cousin to Mrs. Hill. Between them they seem to know everyone in service in a twenty radius around Meryton."

"They suggested I hire Mrs. Evans," Mr. Darcy added. "as well as all the other staff at the dower house. I have been pleased with the service of each and every one of them. I am especially fond of Mrs. Evans and as I said, I plan to make sure she has work as long as she wants it."

I nodded. It sounded like Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls were good people to have on your side. Of course working for Mr. Darcy was good fortune as well. Our conversation turned towards events in Meryton.

"I had a letter from Kitty and Lydia late last week. They said Colonel Fitzwilliam was now in charge at the militia camp, which really made no sense to me. They also said they could not tell me more at the time but that much was going on. What has been happening?"

"After Lydia was attacked by Lieutenant Denny, they questioned him and found out the other soldiers involved were not even from Colonel Forster's unit. They were smugglers working with the former colonel and helped in the attack because the lieutenant's father is one of the smugglers."

"Smugglers? Now I am confused. And why would that lead to Richard being in charge of the unit?"

"You are confused because you only received part of the information," Elizabeth answered. "As she said, by questioning the men Richard and Colonel Forster discovered links to a smuggling operation. They had been investigating problems with funds and goods disappearing and strange accounting entries in the unit's books even before the attack on Lydia. Unfortunately Captain Carter fought with Colonel Forster in an attempt to free Lieutenant Denny. The colonel sent for Richard, but died of his injuries soon after. Richard took over temporarily and put the whole camp on lock down while they investigate links to another unit stationed on the Essex coast. Many of that unit's members had come through Meryton on their runs. When investigators arrived from London they also carried orders for Richard to take permanent command of the unit. Will found out before it became public knowledge and he told our family on condition we not spread the news until it came out from other sources. You should have seen Mama and Lydia on New Year's Eve at Lucas Lodge. They had gossip no one else had and were not allowed to speak of it. Everyone was asking why the two colonels had not come to the party and those two had to remain silent."

"They kept the secret? Something that big?"

"Yes, they did. It was absolutely amazing. Then we found out the Earl of Matlock and that tradesman Will broke partnership with were also involved in the smuggling operation. Before anything could be done the earl and viscount fled the country."

Mary was astounded by all the news. She could hardly believe so much had happened in the short time since she left Meryton. Elizabeth went on to tell her about our shopping trip the previous day and the meeting with Lord Willoughby.

"He might also be part of this smuggling ring?"

"He was in close association with my uncle, so he might," said Mr. Darcy. "Actually, we are hoping for proof he was involved so he can be brought up on charges and would not be able to make trouble for Georgiana."

"I have just had a thought," I said. "He was talking as if his betrothal to Miss Darcy was a settled thing." Here Miss Darcy made a face to show her disgust. "Do you suppose he is spreading rumors of a betrothal and trading on the presumption of an influx of Darcy money to hold off his creditors or even procure more funds? He would have no cares for the effect that might have on Miss Darcy's reputation."

Miss Darcy and Mary looked horrified when Elizabeth added, "He might even try to deliberately ruin her reputation thinking to force a marriage."

"Never!" Mr. Darcy said angrily. "I will never allow such scum near my sister again!"

"Perhaps," I said, thinking out loud, "we could use rumors to turn the tables on him. If the papers get hold of gossip saying he is falsely claiming a betrothal to bolster his ruined fortunes they would be sure to print it and expand upon it. That could convince one or more of his creditors to turn on him, especially if you make it clear no such betrothal would ever happen and emphasize that Miss Darcy is not even officially out yet and therefore not on the marriage mart."

"I see," said Elizabeth. "We use the rumor mill against him. The Darcys have a better reputation and if we get notice of our story in before he plants his then we are more likely to be believed."

"Willoughby is known as a high flyer," said Mr. Darcy, slightly calmer now. "That could work against him." He sighed. "I think I need to visit the duke to see who would be best to receive notice of our counter rumor. I can walk there, I think."

"Not alone!" insisted Elizabeth firmly.

"I will take a footman with me. Will that suffice?"

"Take two. That way if one of you is hurt one person can stay with the injured party while the other goes for help."

He thought for a moment and then agreed. "I would be asking the same of you in reversed circumstances. I will take two footmen out with me for a snowy walk. I have finished my luncheon, so once I make my arrangements I will get my escort, bundle up for the weather and go."

I wished he did not have to go out in the cold and snow. We all knew the sooner the rumor was planted the more chance we had to circumvent Lord Willoughby's chances to harm Miss Darcy. We all wished Mr. Darcy a safe walk and success in his endeavor.


	33. Chapter 33

Dr. Burrows returned before Mr. Darcy.

"It is beastly cold out there," he told us. "My horses will be glad of some time in the warmth of the Darcy stables before we head back out again."

Mary summarized the recent happenings for him and explained where Mr. Darcy had gone and why.

"That certainly sounds like a load of trouble the colonel has landed in. Shame about Forster. I really liked him."

"He will be missed," said Elizabeth. "He was well liked by most in Meryton."

"You say Darcy walked to the Duke of Montrose's townhouse? Probably the safest way to go just now. He did not go alone, did he?"

"We insisted he take two footmen with him," Elizabeth confirmed.

"Smart. Then I expect he should fine, if rather cold. Imagine, smuggling in Meryton. Who would have expected that?"

"I expect the location was coincidental," I said. "Although Meryton was a good point heading inland from the Essex coast while going around London, the real connection was the militia unit and the men who had served under Colonel Mallow when he led the unit before he was transferred to the unit at Rayleigh."

"I suspect that transfer was no coincidence," Dr. Burrows stated. "There is probably someone higher up the chain of command who benefited from that move."

I answered,"I do hope Colonel Fitzwilliam can identify all the players and untangle the mess. While I am glad he does not have to return to the fighting on the continent right away, he deserves so much better than the chaos of this situation. It is even worse because his father and brother are also involved with the smugglers."

"Is it certain they have left the country?"

"That is the best information we have now," Elizabeth responded. "Will had investigators following them. We think they were smuggled out of the country by the same men bringing illegal goods in."

"It is probably for the best they are gone. The Earl of Matlock seems almost as much of a loose cannon as Lord Willoughby. I would be afraid to see the result if they were both here working together and desperate for money."

"I hope Will planting rumors to counter Lord Willoughby's assertions of a betrothal with Georgie pulls the serpent's fangs," Elizabeth offered.

"I certainly agree," said a new voice. Mr. Darcy entered the room, nose and cheeks still red from the cold. Elizabeth ran to embrace him and welcome him home.

"Oh, you are cold!" she said, dragging him to the chair nearest the fire. "Sit and warm yourself."

"I was enjoying being warmed by you," he said with a smile, but obediently sat as instructed. "I do not know how long you have been back from your travels Burrows, but it is getting worse out there. Short as your journey home may be, I think it would be best if you both stay here for the night. It is snowing again and the roads are frozen beneath what has fallen. I am sure we can find a closet somewhere for you to string a hammock in this hovel," he finished with a laugh.

"Oh, Will!" said Elizabeth, laughing herself. "I have already had a suite made up and warmed for them." She turned to the doctor. "Please do stay. We would spend all night worrying if you did not."

The doctor turned to his wife, "What do you think, Mary? Can you get along with your brother and sisters well enough to stay the night without a fight?" She had been standing near his chair and now just batted him lightly on the arm in response.

"Thank you, Lizzy. Thank you, Will," she said. "We gladly accept your hospitality. I am sure Daniel's horses would be thankful too, if they knew how narrowly they missed having yet another journey this day."

"I hope your visit to the duke bore good fruit, Darcy." Dr. Burrows said once Mr. Darcy had a chance to take a few sips of the hot tea Elizabeth brought over for him.

"The fruit is not yet ripe, but I expect a good harvest despite today's frost." He took another sip of tea. "Miss York, the duke sends you his good wishes and says you were both thinking along the same lines. The idea that Willoughby might be trading on a possible connection to Darcy funds hit him today as well. It is too cold and dangerous for even the hard core gambling set to be out and about, so he has not yet sent any of his people out to check the rumor mill and see if it is out there. He did send a few notes to colleagues known for gossip mongering and included our counter rumor. The duchess did the same, including a note to Lady Jersey, who happened to be caught in town by the snowstorm. The way Lady Jersey works, every matron in the Ton will know by morning that Willoughby is on the brink of ruin and trying to charm his way back by claiming a false connection with a young girl of good reputation who is not even out in society yet. The duchess also dropped the news of my uncle and cousin's flight from England. It is not yet generally known and will make a juicy bit of gossip. I pity all the poor servants who will be carrying our news around the town in this weather. When our rumor spreads all over London tomorrow it will make Willoughby's claims the supposed betrothal was arranged by the Earl of Matlock that much more ridiculous."

We all cheered. This was a triumph. With Lady Jersey spreading our side of the rumor no scandal would touch Georgiana.

"There is more," Mr. Darcy continued. "I made a personal visit to the offices of two gossip column editors for whom the duke gave me directions. I told both our surmise that Willoughby was using false rumors of a betrothal to my sister to stave off financial ruin. To one I gave the news that Richard and I had cut all ties to my uncle due to his financial instability and insistence my sister should marry Willoughby to pay off my cousin's debts. To the other I gave news that my uncle and cousin had fled the country to avoid their own debts. I gave both permission to quote me in saying that there never was and never would be a betrothal or marriage between my sister and Lord Willoughby. The papers will reach the few people Lady Jersey does not. I think the serpent's fangs are well and truly pulled."

We cheered again.

"I hate being the subject of _any_ gossip," said Georgiana, "but at least this way the gossip will protect me instead of harm me."

"I do not like it either," Mr. Darcy agreed. "I hope, though, it will also have the effect of notifying our uncle's creditors they will gain nothing by harassing Richard or me. I was careful not to mention the smuggling connections, as that is a matter for the government now, but I suspect that will come out soon enough as well the news that Richard is handling some of the investigation."

"Well done, Darcy! I know how insistent the gambling set can be over repayment of card debts. Your older cousin did himself no favors running with that crowd."

"I know, Burrows. He is more than ten years older than me and would never listen to any warning I tried to give him. He and his father both disregarded anything Richard ever had to say. I am glad Richard spent most of his time at Pemberley after his mother's death. My father cared for him far better than my uncle ever did."

"I was always glad to have Richard around, although he was already in the army by the time I was old enough to truly appreciate his company," Miss Darcy told us. I was gaining interesting insights to the colonel from this bit of conversation. I could understand more of why he was so stubbornly self-reliant. As an honorable man he would not wish to take advantage of relatives who had already been kinder to him than his own father. He would likely cut off his own arm before he would accept financial assistance from his cousin to avoid looking anything like the family he scorned.

"With all this fuss over Lord Willoughby, do you think Lady Jersey might use it as cause to deny me Almack's vouchers when I come out in two years?" Georgiana asked.

"Unless you do something to ruin your own reputation, I think this juicy bit of gossiping will incline Lady Jersey to support you rather than deny you. The backing of the Duke and Duchess of Montrose will also tip the scales heavily in your favor just as they will do for Elizabeth as she enters society." Mr. Darcy smiled at his sister and wife.

"Getting vouchers and attending gatherings at Almack's always sounded like such an ordeal to me," said Mary.

"Just attending was an ordeal," grumbled Mr. Darcy. "Of course, we all know I have never been much for attending society events anyway. I am fine with Elizabeth by my side, but when I was single it was an ordeal to be dreaded. We will have to take Georgiana a few times just so it is clear she is accepted, but I want more for her than just an "eligible match" of fortune or title, so I doubt she will find a suitor there."

"I would like to go just for the experience," said Elizabeth, "but I can wait until we escort Georgie."

"I did not much care for it," I said. "It was hot and crowded. I was glad my mother and father only took me the one time. Mr. Thompson did not even apply for a voucher for his daughter, knowing his status as a tradesman would count against her no matter how wealthy he might be."

"I had forgotten that you did have a London season," Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

"A part of one, anyway," I responded with a smile.

"Still, you know what to expect. That will be useful if we sponsor Kitty or Lydia in the future. I am glad the duchess has agreed to sponsor me for a presentation at court and even more glad I will not be part of the marriage mart."

"I am glad you are not either," Mr. Darcy said to his wife with a wink and smile.

"I would enjoy my come out more if Kitty and Lydia were able to join me," Miss Darcy said.

"We have time to see what happens and if they will be ready," her brother answered.

"Was your walk very unpleasant, Darcy?" Dr. Burrows asked, changing the subject. "I know my horses had a tough time of it, especially pulling the carriage."

"It was not as bad as I thought it would be. The hardest part was really the cold. I was well wrapped up, but the chill seeped through everything. I was glad to have the two footmen with me. As slick as the pavement was in places I think I might have been somewhat nervous on my own."

"Did you have to go very far to visit the two editors?" Mary asked.

"Fortunately their offices were close to one another. I did find a brave cab driver to get me into that district, which saved some walking. After that, though, the roads were too slick and the snow started coming down again. My companions and I were safest walking and it was only a little over two miles to get back here. I was very glad to get home. Until this snow and ice clear I will not go anywhere I do not absolutely have to."

"Yes, I think our shopping and other excursions are on hold as well. I am glad you are here with us Mary," said Elizabeth. "It will make being snowed in a little more fun."

"I am looking forward to exploring the library," her sister said. "As well as taking a few more turns on that lovely pianoforte."

"I enjoyed the concert earlier," said Mr. Darcy. "Perhaps after dinner you would all be willing to play a little more so Burrows and I can both enjoy it?"

"I would certainly enjoy that," Dr. Burrows chimed in.

"Instead of sitting in the dining room with your port after dinner you can come enjoy your drink while we play."

The two gentlemen nodded their agreement and our plan for the evening was set.


	34. Chapter 34

Before we went in for dinner Dr. Burrows borrowed a pair of Mr. Darcy's intrepid footmen to take a note to his housekeeper letting her know they would stay the night at Darcy house. The footmen were to return only if an urgent message came from a patient requesting the doctor's presence. Otherwise they were to stay at the doctor's residence until the doctor and Mary went home.

We were all happy with the way the day had gone. It was a relief to have the Duke of Montrose on our side and having Lady Jersey spreading the gossip for us was a stroke of pure brilliance. I hoped I would get the chance to meet the duchess. It seemed likely that I would if she was sponsoring Elizabeth's presentation.

Conversation at dinner ranged over a wide variety of topics. Mr. Darcy teased Dr. Burrows about the pianoforte he had not known he possessed. Mary defended him and thanked him for her lessons. Later, the other three ladies asked me to describe my evening at Almack's, which I did with more detail than enthusiasm. The conversation turned to the actual court presentation, which I considered about as exciting as going to Almack's. Finally, Elizabeth brought up a new book of poetry she had heard was to be published soon, which led into a general discussion of poetry that we all enjoyed.

The concert succeeded in pleasing us all as well. The gentlemen poured their port and sipped as they listened. We ladies each had another two turns playing the lovely instrument. Georgiana finished us off for the evening with a long concerto played with skill and feeling. We went off to our beds with sweet sounds still echoing in our ears. In my case they carried over into my dreams, which were peaceful.

The snow lay even more thickly on the streets the next morning. It was clear Mary and her husband would be staying with us for the day. We gathered in the breakfast room and planned a quiet day of reading and music practice.

Somehow the morning papers were still delivered, something I considered a bit of a miracle given the conditions outside. Mr. Darcy turned to a section which most of us rarely perused.

"Here it is," he said and read aloud:

 _Word is out that a certain Lord W, noted gambler and man about town, has had a run of bad luck at the tables straining his purse to the breaking point. He has attempted to stay in the game by claiming an engagement to the person and dowry of young Miss D of D-shire. The ace hidden up his sleeve was discovered when Mr. D of D-shire insisted before witnesses that no such engagement exists, nor would he ever consider marrying his sister, who is not yet even out, to Lord W. In fact, our sources say Mr. D publicly broke with his uncle, the Earl of M., over this and other matters. We have also learned the Earl of M and his eldest son have fled the country to avoid debtor's prison themselves. Any hope Lord W had the Earl of M would help arrange a lucrative match with Miss D has fled with them._

"That should put paid to his hopes of fooling his creditors," Dr. Burrows said.

"Now that we have prevented him from ruining our reputations, we just have to be sure he does not physically retaliate. Can I depend on all of you to avoid leaving the house without proper protection?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"You mean if the snow ever lets up?" Elizabeth offered with a chuckle. Her husband just lifted an eyebrow at her, causing the rest of us to chuckle as well.

"Yes, Will," she said in response to the gesture. "We promise to take appropriate care and be sure we are protected if we go out."

The rest of us nodded our agreement. I knew I would not take Miss Darcy out without at least two footmen. I had no desire to let Lord Willoughby get anywhere near her, or me as well. I remembered joking with Elizabeth that if we ran into trouble or were late on our first trip he would insist on going with us and require an armed guard. I almost choked when I heard him speak a moment later.

"Actually, I would like to go with you when you go back for your fitting at the modiste. I do not want Willoughby to have a chance to approach you without hearing from me."

Elizabeth, Miss Darcy and I all agreed.

"I would like you to be careful as well, Mary," said Dr. Burrows. "He may learn that you are related to the Darcys and could try harm you as a way of getting at them. Let me know if you need to go out and we will come up with the best way to protect you."

"Very well, Daniel. I agree to be careful and work with you."

Our conversation turned to our activities for the day. We were all people who enjoyed spending time reading a good book. The library would provide us with a base of operations for the day, with its combination of abundant reading material, comfortable chairs and a warm fire. We could remain in company, but entertain ourselves. That is how the day worked for us. We read or worked on other tasks. Sometimes two or three of us would have a discussion about the books or an idea they sparked. Miss Darcy and Mary wandered to the music room to practice for a while and then returned. I put down my book for a time and enjoyed knitting while watching the snow fall outside the window. It was a day of quiet enjoyment.

No messenger came from the doctor's house that day to tell him he was needed. We hoped that was a good thing. Mary and her husband stayed the night again for safety's sake. The next morning during breakfast Mr. Darcy received a note from his godfather. We all waited impatiently for him to finish reading. He looked around the table at our eager looks and smiled.

"The duke writes to tell me that our little rumor has made the rounds and grown beyond anything we could have expected. The common thread among the many stories is that Willoughby is over his head in debt and grasping at any chance he can find to save himself no matter how ridiculous. One story even postulates that the earl and viscount have not fled but were murdered by Willoughby when they failed to pay him money owed or to successfully arrange a marriage with Georgie."

"If only we could prove that one!" said Elizabeth. "Has anything come up with the ties to the smuggling operation yet?"

"Apparently it has, although no firm proof is available. Willoughby was also doing business with Hampton, it seems, and he made a trip to Rayleigh early in December, reportedly meeting with Colonel Mallow. Word of the smuggling operation has begun to circulate in the rumor mill and an alternate theory about my uncle's disappearance is that he tried to cheat the smugglers and they murdered him in reprisal."

"That could actually be a possibility," Dr. Burrows said. "Until they fetch up somewhere and you learn of it there is no guarantee they are both still alive."

Mr. Darcy frowned. "That would just create a new set of problems. I honestly hope that Richard does not inherit the title or Matlock. The strain of trying to restore the family name and rebuild everything the earl and viscount have ruined might very well kill him. He would do his absolute best, but he hasn't the resources. _I_ might not even have the resources considering how far into debt they had fallen and Richard would never accept that kind of help from me. The best we can hope for right now is the earl and viscount establish themselves somewhere else, the viscount marries and has at least one legitimate son and the title, lands and the problems associated with them pass on to that child, leaving Richard out of it."

Mr. Darcy's assessment of the situation made sense to us all. If Matlock was that badly off, then it was better it never fall to Colonel Fitzwilliam. He was already under a great strain with the smuggling investigation and I could see him wearing himself out in the quest for answers there. To take on the challenge of restoring a reputation and ruined estate could kill him. He cared too much.

Word came from Madame Claudette a little later asking to reschedule Elizabeth's fitting for Monday or even Tuesday if the weather remained bad. She sent a reply back with the messenger agreeing that would be the best course of action. It appeared Saturday would be another quiet day for us.

The snow had stopped by midday, but Mr. Darcy decided that unless it all melted down during the night we would not be going out to services the next day. Unfortunately, the doctor did get a call from a patient who required his assistance early that afternoon. Since he would be passing by his home on the way to the patient he decided to take Mary with him and they would return to their own home when he was done.

Dinner time seemed a little lonelier without Mary and the doctor. When we talked over what we had read that day we missed the added insight they both would have brought to the conversation. When we moved to the music room after dinner Mr. Darcy had no one with whom to share his port. Taking our turns at the pianoforte highlighted the gap Mary would have filled.

"I wish they could have stayed with us longer," Miss Darcy said as she finished her second turn on the instrument. "I enjoyed having Mary and Daniel here."

"I agree," said her brother. "They are good company. We will have to invite them to join us at Pemberley for a few weeks this summer. Hopefully Burrows will be able to take some time from his practice then.

I did not know if Kitty and Lydia would be invited to Pemberley at any point or if I would be able to join them. I felt it was best not to ask just then. I was happy with my work at Longbourn and was enjoying a nice visit now. I saw no point worrying about the summer in the midst of a snowstorm.

The temperature warmed overnight and by Sunday morning the snow was starting to melt a bit. It was by no means clear or even safe to navigate. If anything, both streets and sidewalks were more dangerous due to the mess of slush and mud. If it stayed dry for a few days travel would be easier. We could only hope it did not simply freeze into solid ice.

Although we did not attend services, we took turns reading from the scriptures that morning. Our devotions were interrupted by a fuss at the main door where Mr. Carson stoutly denied entry to a very angry Lord Willoughby. Elizabeth, Miss Darcy and I remained out of sight in the drawing room while Mr. Darcy went to support his servant against the intruder. We did have the door open a crack and all gathered around to listen and watch what we could of the events.

"You did this to me!" shouted Lord Willoughby as he caught sight of Mr. Darcy. "I do not know how, but it is your work!"

"I have not the pleasure of understanding you, sir. Of what do you speak?" Mr. Darcy remained calm and cool, although I was certain it was a front.

"The rumors, man! You put out rumors that I am near ruin, that I killed the Earl of Matlock! Those rumors are all over town and I am a laughingstock because of them!"

"Why would I spread rumors about you? You have no connection to me. Now please leave. I have no desire for your company."

"No! You must put out a statement! Retract the rumors! Stop them!"

"Lord Willoughby," said Mr. Darcy in a condescending tone, "you know as well as I that once a rumor begins there is no stopping it. It runs its course until it is forgotten. Even if I desired to there is nothing I could do to change whatever stories are going around about you. I am even inclined to think some of them are probably true, although I doubt you killed my uncle. Now, will you leave or do I have my footmen escort you from my step?"

Mr. Carson gave Lord Willoughby a quick push just then, which thrust Lord Willoughby away from the door. "You will not succeed Darcy! I will win out!" the angry man shouted as Mr. Darcy reached forward and shut the door in his face. Mr. Carson threw the lock and Mr. Darcy slumped against the door blowing out a deep puff of air. We tumbled out the drawing room door to congratulate him on how he had handled the irate man. Mr. Darcy put a finger to his lips to quiet us just in case Lord Willoughby was still listening on the other side of the door.

Quickly Mr. Darcy ran up the main stairs. I guessed he would go to a window to see if our visitor was truly gone. He soon returned, laughing as he sauntered down the steps.

"Is he gone?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Oh, yes," he answered still laughing. "I watched him stomp his way down the front steps to where his carriage was waiting. Just as he reached the bottom he hit a slick patch and his foot started to slide out from under him. He almost caught his balance, but he over-reacted and instead fell forward right into a big muddy puddle. He was completely soaked and had trouble standing up even with the help of his servant. I am _so_ glad I saw that." He laughed some more and we joined in.

It might not have been an appropriate reaction, particularly on a Sunday when we should at least try to be better, but we all appreciated the thought of Lord Willoughby rolling in the mud. It was an apt image for a man who figuratively rolled in the mud of shady dealings on a regular basis.

I think all of us hoped that Lord Willoughby's debts and less than proper dealings would see consequences soon. I knew I would feel safer if he was confined to debtor's prison. Perhaps he would even take a page out of the Earl of Matlock's book and leave the country. He would certainly not recover from the beating his reputation was taking if he chose to stay unless he could show he was solvent by paying off all his debts. From what I knew of the situation that was unlikely. Entailments prevented him from selling either his family home or Stone Landing. I could think of no other source of funds he to which he might have access.

I was glad the rumors were doing their work. Public opinion was on our side and was stronger than Lord Willoughby and his threats. We would have to wait and see what happened over our remaining week in town.


	35. Chapter 35

Mr. Darcy's preparations for our visit to the modiste put me in mind of tales of travelers heading into hostile territory. We did not quite have an armed guard, but in addition to Mr. Darcy we had Ralph, one of Mr. Darcy's footmen who was trained as a boxer, and Abner, the largest and most imposing groom in the Darcy stables. I had no idea if Abner knew how to fight, but his size and demeanor alone would give any opponent pause. I will admit I did feel safer with the three men along.

The streets had not frozen overnight and no more snow had fallen, so while conditions were still slushy and muddy it was not quite as bad as the day before. To protect us from falling as Lord Willoughby had done Mr. Darcy had his men lay down a plank between the bottom step and the street to give us a dry surface to walk upon. Once we were inside, they loaded the plank on the carriage top and brought it with us. It came in handy at each stop we made.

Mr. Darcy and our two guards sat in the chairs by the front window while Madame Claudette escorted us back to the private rooms for the fitting. Elizabeth's new gowns were gorgeous. They had been made up with loose stitching in a few of the spots that might need letting out slightly or taking in. Madame and her assistant efficiently checked these spots, did some pinning, took a critical look at how each gown draped and flowed as they had Elizabeth sit, stand and walk around the room. They made a few adjustments and repeated the process until the desired look was achieved before moving on to the next gown. The first gown took the longest, after that they already had a good idea of where to adjust and they just confirmed their work. After running through Elizabeth's gowns they did the same for the few Miss Darcy had ordered and then we were free to move on.

Elizabeth wanted to do a little extra shopping while we were out, hoping to find a few pretty things for her sister, Jane. Mr. Darcy and our escorts hovered by the doors of the shops while we looked at ribbons and lace, handkerchiefs and bonnets. Elizabeth and Miss Darcy ended up with several packages to be loaded into the carriage. Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia would be receiving presents as well as Jane. I found skeins of very nice wool for my next few pair of stockings in one of the shops and a pretty fan I could embellish with some embroidery as a gift for Jane. We ladies thought it was a very successful trip. I suspect our escorts thought it quite the ordeal.

Our expedition finished with a stop at the little cafe. Mr. Darcy ordered coffee and a few treats for Ralph, Abner and his coachman to enjoy and then joined us at our table to share the tray of pastries and drink his own coffee while we sipped at our cups of chocolate. We happily chatted about the purchases and made plans for the next day. We hoped to pick up Mary and go visit with Mrs. Gardiner.

I was almost disappointed that Lord Willoughby made no appearance during our expedition. After all, we were so well prepared for him it seemed a waste not to need the preparations. At the same time, I was glad not to see him again.

Elizabeth dispatched notes to Mary and Mrs. Gardiner upon our return to Darcy House. She quickly received responses confirming our plans. Our little group, complete with imposing escorts, would venture to Mary's home. We would visit for a short time, allowing Mary to give us a tour, then head over to Gracechurch street for an afternoon with Mrs. Gardiner.

London presented its usual winter aspect as our little party boarded the carriage, gray skies above and muddy brown streets below. Mr. Darcy was no less careful in his preparations than the day before. We had our plank for ease of walking, Ralph and Abner for added protection and, of course, Mr. Darcy himself to keep us company.

"I am so pleased you asked me to join you today," Mary said when we arrived. "Daniel was called to visit a patient yesterday and is back there again today and I am much in need of your company."

"We are happy we can finally visit your home," Miss Darcy told her.

Mary gave us a tour of the public rooms, showing us the small improvements she had already made to the sparse decorations and explaining a few of her plans for the future. We noted the display of her grandmother's porcelain figurines on the mantle, a cheerful collection of delicately painted lords and ladies in a variety of fashions from the classical Greek through the court dress of 50 years ago. A few dogs of various breeds were arranged around the couples and one fine gentleman in riding garb led a beautiful porcelain horse by a delicate bridle. It was clear from the way she pointed them out that Mary valued them highly.

The pianoforte was also proudly displayed to us. Mary had been correct. It was a beautiful instrument and definitely superior to the one at Longbourn. While not quite the equal of the one at Darcy House, it did not fall far short. On her insistence we each took a short turn at the keyboard and found it quite pleasant to play.

After our tour we bundled back into the Darcy carriage and headed across town to Gracechurch street. I am not sure why I was surprised at how neat and pleasant the neighborhood looked, even with the slushy streets, but I will admit I was. Inside the house was even more pleasant, neatly kept and with a warm inviting air. Mrs. Gardiner ushered us into the drawing room and sent for tea after making arrangements for Mr. Darcy's servants to be given a warm and comfortable spot to wait.

"I was a little concerned for you after seeing the gossip column in the paper this morning. I had seen the earlier notice about Lord W, who I assume is Lord Willoughby, and the references to Mr. D of D-shire, so I have been watching the column. Did Lord Willoughby really try to break into your home and end up rolling in a mud puddle?" she asked.

We all laughed at her question, Mr. Darcy loudest of all. We had told Mary of the incident on the ride over, so she joined in the hilarity. After we had calmed, Elizabeth told her aunt of the confrontation outside the cafe and the subsequent counter rumor campaign. Mrs. Gardiner complimented Mr. Darcy on the effectiveness of his tactics, but asked again about the latest gossip.

"A neighbor must have seen his visit and passed the word on to someone who notified the papers," he said. "Lord Willoughby showed up at our home on Sunday and gave quite the display of shouted threats. While my butler did give him a shove out of the doorway, the mud puddle was Willoughby's own fault. He did not pay enough attention to conditions when he stormed out to his carriage and he slipped and fell. I am glad he fell forward into the slush and mud. If he had fallen backward he might have hit his head on the steps and the gossip would be that I murdered him in retaliation for his threats."

"That was a stroke of fortune indeed," said Mrs. Gardiner. "I wonder if he will take ill from his wetting. It was still very cold on Sunday even though the snow was melting."

"It is not very kind of me to think it," Mr. Darcy said, "but I hope he did take a chill and spends several days confined to his house recovering. I would not wish the man dead, but I can certainly wish him some inconvenience."

"He was heir to your father's estate, was he not?" Mrs. Gardiner asked me. When I nodded she continued, "Do you know who would inherit if he were to die? He is not married and has no legitimate children, after all."

"The entail on the Stone Landing extends for another generation, as does the entail on his own family estate to the best of my knowledge. If he has no direct heirs I believe his family estate is inherited by a cousin on his father's side and Stone Landing would go to a slightly more distant cousin of _my_ father's. I have never met the man who would inherit the Landing, but I have also never heard anything bad about him. I would wish him good luck restoring the estate should he end up inheriting."

"It is difficult to see the family home go to ruin for lack of care. How does the colonel feel about your uncle's estate and their situation, Mr. Darcy?"

"Richard has told me he feels little connection to Matlock since his mother's death when he was a boy. His father always made clear to him he was nothing more than the 'spare' and gave him no reason to take pride in the family lands or heritage. If he were to inherit he would look on it as an unpleasant duty, not an honor."

"Was his father always like that?" Mary asked.

"I have no good memories of any interactions with my uncle," Mr. Darcy answered, accompanied by a nod of agreement from Miss Darcy. "Richard may have a few, but if so he has never shared them with me."

"How very sad," Mary said. Although I said nothing I agreed with her. I was glad Mr. Darcy's father had looked out for his unwanted nephew.

"What of the rumors about your uncle?" Mrs. Gardiner asked. "Have you heard anything more about his flight from the country?"

"No, I suspect your husband will know anything of that sort before I do. Our investigators are reporting to him after all."

"I pity the men investigating in all the cold and snow last week. Conditions are better now and hopefully will stay so at least until we return from Longbourn next Tuesday." We all agreed with that sentiment.

"Mary, I have had a thought," Mrs. Gardiner continued. "Would you and your husband care to travel to Meryton with us? We are both going and returning on the same dates. There is no real need for both parties to take their carriages."

"I will ask Daniel what he thinks this evening and will send over a note to let you know. We planned to leave Saturday morning and travel alongside the Darcys for the journey there."

"If you have no objection," Mrs. Gardiner said to Mr. Darcy, "we would like to do the same even if Mary and her husband choose to take their own carriage."

"I see no problem. We are all safer traveling as a group. The Burrows' home is closest to our route out of town. Shall we plan on leaving from there shortly after nine on Saturday?"

"That will work well for us," Mrs. Gardiner agreed. "We will be leaving the children here with their nurse, so it should be no trouble to leave early."

The conversation turned to our shopping expedition and we told Mrs. Gardiner about the gifts we had purchased for Jane the previous day. She knew the cafe we had stopped at, but had never visited it herself.

"I think Mary and I shall have to treat ourselves after we come back from the wedding. I do love a good cup of chocolate," Mrs. Gardiner told us.

"I was impressed by the pastries," Mr. Darcy said, "and they made good coffee as well."

"I would go for the pastries and the company," Mary told us. "I do not mind chocolate, but I also do not have the same taste for it Lizzy does."

Elizabeth agreed that she often craved chocolate in a way she had never seen Mary do. We visited for a while longer. Just as Mr. Darcy seemed to be thinking about leaving Mr. Gardiner came in.

"Ah, good, I caught you," he said. "I was hoping I would. After Madeline pointed out the recent gossip about Lord Willoughby I knew he has been giving you trouble. One of the investigators just came in with word that Willoughby and Hampton were seen yesterday heading out of town together right after Willoughby pawned a number of small, but expensive items. They headed into Kent, towards the coast. The man following them lost the trail about ten miles outside of Hythe. We cannot tell for sure if they went on into Hythe and to the port there. They could be meeting someone or they could be trying to get out of the country. I sent an express to the colonel and then came to see if I could catch you. Would you enlighten me as to the truth behind the rumors about Lord Willoughby?"

Mr Darcy told Mr. Gardiner the tale of our encounter at the cafe, the rumor plot and its execution and the story of Lord Willoughby's Sunday morning call. Mr. Gardiner was laughing at the end of the tale.

"I can just see him covered in mud." he said. "So, he is probably running away from his creditors and I expect Hampton is doing the same. He seems to have sold out of his business, leaving any remaining investors high and dry. I would expect they are both trying to leave the country. Like most port towns Hythe will have its share of smugglers. They may know someone there or they may have realized they were being followed and have gone to another port entirely. The investigator who was following them is a retired military man. He reported to one of the units close by since this could have bearing on the smuggling investigation. Then he returned to London to check in."

"I hope Willoughby has left the area, but I still intend to take extra care of my family while we are here in London. I would hate for him to double back and then take us unaware. I can see my uncle running with the proceeds from the sale of the townhouse. I find it hard to believe Willoughby could pawn enough to make a fresh start somewhere else. I think it more likely he was gathering seed money to try and gamble his way out of his problems."

"It is hard to say what he would do. I am surprised he went with Hampton. They must have some plan in mind. I will keep my ears open and let you know when I hear more. Are you leaving for Meryton on Saturday?"

"Yes. We have planned with your wife that you will be driving along with us for the trip and you might be carrying Mary and Dr. Burrows in your carriage. I will allow her to update you on the plan. I think we should be heading back now."

"Very good. I will send you word if I hear anything or if I have a problem with the plans you have all made for our trip." Mr. Gardiner laughed.

Mrs. Gardiner sent a servant to notify Mr. Darcy's driver and our guards that we were preparing to leave. It took a little while to say our goodbyes and put on our warm outer clothes, but eventually we piled into the Darcy carriage and set off.

We discussed the latest news on the ride back to Mary's house. It was satisfying to know Lord Willoughby had left London, but as Mr. Darcy said, there was no guarantee he would stay away. There was just too much uncertainty about so many things lately. We all felt rather frustrated by it.

"I do know one thing," said Elizabeth. "Jane is getting married to Mr. Bingley on Monday. I plan to be there to help celebrate."

"We had better be there," said Mr. Darcy, "since you are standing up with Jane and I am Best Man for Bingley." We laughed and were satisfied that something, at least, made sense and could be counted on.


	36. Chapter 36

Elizabeth, Miss Darcy and I remained close to the house for our remaining three days in town. There was nothing outside the house we wished to see or do enough to warrant calling out our escorts. We were not bored. We had books and music and handwork as well as each others company.

The fan I embroidered for Jane turned out well. I had left my needlework book behind for Lydia to use, but had remembered a few interesting ideas from it. I adapted one of the patterns, a delicate pattern of interlocking floral chains, into a design I worked in in blue silk just a shade darker than the silk of the fan. Pale blue was a color I noticed Jane favored and it highlighted her hair and eyes beautifully. I hoped she would be happy with the gift.

Mr. Darcy went out on Wednesday to visit with his godfather and tell him the latest news from Mr. Gardiner. Nothing more had been heard of Lord Willoughby, but that still did not mean he was gone.

"My godfather is deriving great enjoyment from all the rumors flying around," Mr. Darcy told us on his return. "He has little tolerance for men like Willoughby who waste the opportunities they are given on frivolous pursuits and ignore their responsibilities to the land and the people who live on it. He has even less tolerance for men who simply run away and fail to learn from the consequences of their behavior."

The rumors now included news that Willoughby had fled to avoid imprisonment. Some of the more creative rumors said he had turned highwayman and gone off to rob travelers and rebuild his fortune. I personally did not believe he would be willing to work hard enough even to be a successful highwayman. It took more than just the ability to wave a gun around and shout 'stand and deliver' to be good at highway robbery. Other rumors had him dead of illness after his cold bath in the mud. I suspected it was far more likely he was hidden out somewhere near the coast, making deals and trying to avoid notice from his creditors.

0o0o0o0

We made an early start for the journey back to Longbourn just as planned. When we reached Mary's house the servants were just finishing strapping down the trunks Mary and the doctor were bringing with them onto the Gardiner carriage. Clearly they had decided to ride along with her aunt and uncle.

Mr. Darcy's coachman confirmed the route with the Gardiner coachman. They agreed on the most likely first stop and a signal if either carriage encountered trouble. We quickly set off to make our way out of London.

Once we made it out of the city the drive was pretty easy going. The roads were muddy and some new potholes had opened up, but the pace we kept was slow enough that the drivers could see most of the obstacles and avoid them. We stopped at an inn about midway to give the horses a rest and the people a break and a chance to warm up a bit before taking the final leg of the journey. It seemed a bit colder as we made our way to Meryton. There were still clumps of snow here and there on the ground, but the roads were clear. We encountered no difficulties and almost before we knew it Meryton was ahead of us, and a few minutes later we were making the turn into Longbourn.

We were greeted enthusiastically by the inhabitants of Longbourn while Mr. Darcy arranged for some of the trunks to be shuffled around. Mine was to be left at Longbourn, of course, and the trunks for Mary and Dr. Burrows were shifted to the Darcy carriage. They would be staying at the dower house with the Darcys. Georgiana would be returning to the dower house as well. It was time for her to be back with her brother and new sister on a regular basis, although I suspected she would still be a frequent visitor at Longbourn.

I was glad to see that Mildred looked much better than when we had left. She had recovered her energy and the cough had nearly gone. While the family members all greeted each other she and I had a quick discussion.

"Kitty and Lydia have behaved well in your absence. We attended a small gathering with the Gouldings and the girls' manners were quite acceptable. They also tended their lessons well. I got Kitty started with the basics of reading music and she is picking it up fairly quickly. Lydia is working her way through a book her father recommended."

"How have the lessons on the estate and house accounts gone?"

"I think they are going well for everyone. Mrs. Bennet enjoys being treated as an expert by Kitty. As I am sure you expected, the actual accounting only takes a few minutes a day. Kitty is using their time to ask questions about how a house is managed, what supplies are needed and how servants are hired and trained. She is even looking at past expenses with her mother to explore how the needs of the house will change with three fewer daughters in residence."

I smiled. This was exactly the result I had hoped for. "What about Lydia?" I asked.

"I am not sure who is enjoying their time together most, Lydia or Mr. Bennet. Lydia is enjoying a daily dose of her father's undivided attention. This is different from the kind of attention she has received in the past. Mr. Bennet is discovering Lydia has many character similarities to Elizabeth, although she is not as well educated or mature. When he treats Lydia with the respect he gave Elizabeth she responds well and learns quickly. He can no longer call her one of the silliest girls in England. As they work through ideas for the estate she is showing a good feel for the possibilities and far more sense they would have given her credit for in the past."

"Is she succeeding with the account work?"

"Yes, working together they have closed out the books for last year and have even started planning several ways to save or invest money this year. After their time with their parents each day Kitty and Lydia also like to compare notes with each other about what they have learned while they work on their needlework. I have found the discussions fascinating. They often come to similar conclusions about what they are learning, but each has their own way of getting to those conclusions. I think they were very wise in how they chose which parent to learn from."

"I am so pleased to hear that, especially that they are sharing what they are learning."

Just then Mr. Darcy suggested we all sit down and he would explain the happenings in town.

"You will want to hear this, Mildred," I said. We joined the family as everyone took seats in the drawing room.

"As you know, when my uncle came to the dower house several weeks ago he hoped to gain custody of Georgiana and force her into a marriage with a man to whom my cousin, the viscount, owed a great deal of money. By an odd coincidence, that man was the heir to Miss York's family estate, Lord Willoughby. While we were in town Elizabeth, Georgiana and Miss York had an unpleasant encounter with Lord Willoughby. Elizabeth, would you please provide the details?"

Elizabeth told how Lord Willoughby identified Miss Darcy from our conversation and the manner in which we made our escape after I confronted him. She also recounted our worry over whether he might use rumors of a betrothal to Miss Darcy to damage her reputation and attempt to force a marriage.

"He could not really do that could he?" Lydia asked with indignation.

"He might have tried," said Elizabeth, "but we found a way to turn the tables on him. Will?"

Mr. Darcy continued with a description of how he enlisted the aid of the Duke of Montrose, how the duchess brought Lady Jersey into the action, and told of his visit to the editors of the gossip columns to have our counter rumor published.

Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia all cheered. Jane looked pleased but did not say anything. Mr. Bennet did, however.

"Hoist by his own petard! Well done, son! Did the rumors spread as you expected?"

"The rumors spread far beyond what we expected, especially given how bad the weather had turned. By Sunday not only was Lord Willoughby's financial status well known, there was even speculation that he had killed my uncle and cousin along with several even more outlandish theories. Lord Willoughby showed up at Darcy House in a fury, wanting me to somehow stop the rumors."

"What did you do?" asked Lydia.

"I refused to let him in the house. He ranted a bit, but I simply asked him to leave. Then my butler shoved him away from the door and I closed it in his face. I ran upstairs to look out the window and make sure he was leaving. From that vantage I watched as he stomped down the steps, slipped, and fell into a puddle of slush and mud." Mr. Darcy laughed again at the memory and most of the room joined in.

"A few days later we found out he left London and went into Kent. The investigator lost track of him outside one of the coastal towns. When he could not pick up the track he came back and reported to Mr. Gardiner. We do not know if Lord Willoughby was trying to leave the country or perhaps just meet with someone connected to the smuggling operation. We have had no word of him since."

"What do you think he has done?" asked Mr. Bennet.

"I _hope_ he has left the country, but I _think_ he is in hiding, trying to work out a way to rebuild his fortune. My uncle has always been, for all his bluster, a rather weak man. He would run. Lord Willoughby seems more stubborn, less likely to run. I think I will need to remain alert."

"That all sounds very exciting," Mrs. Bennet said, "but did Elizabeth get to do any shopping while she was in town?"

"Yes, Mama," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "We did go out shopping one day, with Will and an escort of two strong servants. I bought gowns at the shop of Madame Claudette. We also enjoyed visiting some of the other shops and had chocolate and pastries at a cafe Georgie recommended."

"Well at least the trip was not wasted," her mother said.

"I also had my interview with Bishop Parkhurst," Mr. Darcy continued. "They are continuing to investigate Mr. Collins. He has been suspended while the investigation proceeds and the curate is providing services for the Hunsford parish. The preliminary investigation determined that Mr. Collins may never have been properly ordained. He may have been fooled by someone impersonating a bishop for his examination, or he may have deliberately paid for a false record of ordination. That is still being determined."

"Are you saying all his talk about his position as a clergyman was lies?" Lydia asked.

"I suspect he was duped by someone impersonating a bishop and charging fees to administer a fake examination. He truly seemed to believe he was a properly ordained clergyman. I do not think he would be smart enough to carry out a deliberate lie of that kind." Mr. Darcy answered.

"Well, I for one am glad he showed his true colors before he had the chance to marry one of my girls." Mrs. Bennet huffed. "Will he be thrown out of the parsonage?"

"He probably will be, but I think they want to complete the investigation first."

"He can still inherit Longbourn, though?"

"Yes, he can still inherit."

"Too bad. I hoped he would be disqualified."

"I am afraid it does not work quite like that. We must all hope you do not need to worry about whether he will inherit for quite some time." Mr. Darcy said.

"Yes, indeed," added Mr. Bennet. "I want us all to hope none of us have to worry about that for some time. I intend to live a long and happy life. If luck is with us I might just outlive Mr. Collins."

We all laughed and added our wish to his.

With the most important news out of the way, Mr. Darcy felt that his party should return to the dower house to get settled in. He spoke with Mildred and they decided she would return to the dower house the next afternoon, after services and a family luncheon at Longbourn. I knew that Elizabeth and Miss Darcy would bring the gifts they had purchased for the family with them the next day. I decided to wait to give Jane the fan until then.

After the Darcys left I sat with Kitty and Lydia to get caught up on what they had been doing. They wanted to tell me everything they had learned over the nearly two weeks I was gone. I was happy to listen and a little amused by their excitement. Lydia showed me the examples of pulled stitch work she had produced and told me about the book she was reading. Reading music was Kitty's topic and she was pleased with the progress she had made. They both shared interesting bits of information they had learned about managing both home and estate. It made for a pleasant homecoming.

I had enjoyed the trip to London, despite some of the problems we encountered. It was an adventure. All the same, I was glad to be back at Longbourn. I still had plenty of work to do here.


	37. Chapter 37

Jane's wedding breakfast was to be a much larger affair than Mary and Elizabeth's had been. I wondered why there was so little fuss and bustle about it at Longbourn until Kitty told me Mr. Bingley had offered Netherfield as the location for the breakfast the same day we had left for town. She and her mother along with Jane and Mrs. Hill had worked with Mrs. Nicholls at Netherfield to prepare for the event. With the Darcys away in town Mrs. Evans, their housekeeper and cook, had joined in the preparations, providing several baked items. Lydia had not been left out. She had gone to Netherfield with them several afternoons this past week to help with the decorations.

Mildred had mentioned nothing of this in our brief update. I asked her why later that day and she told me, "They wanted to tell you themselves. They are very proud of what they have done. I was sworn to silence until they had the chance."

Tell me they did. Lydia and Kitty were both excited about all the arrangements they had made with their mother at Netherfield.

"The best part is, even with the larger size of the event, we will still be within our budget!" Lydia said proudly.

I smiled as I asked, "How did you manage that?"

"The biggest cost was going to be hiring extra servants to help out here at Longbourn, both to prepare and to serve the food. Now we have all the people who work at Netherfield both for setting things up and for serving. They are already trained and they are paid their regular wages by Mr. Bingley."

"Mrs. Nicholls was very pleased to help with the wedding breakfast. She told us the servants have needed a project like this to liven them up. With just Mr. Bingley in the house and him spending most of his time here they have had it far too quiet," said Kitty.

"The food was going to be another big cost," Lydia added. "With the limited space here at Longbourn several items would have to be ordered in which is more expensive. With much of the preparation being done in Netherfield's kitchens and several of the baked items being prepared by Mrs. Evans at the dower house, we only had to pay for the raw ingredients which is less expensive than buying the finished product. We will be getting a few specialty items from shops in Meryton, in part because Mama says that is a way to keep the local merchants from feeling insulted or left out, but that will not cost very much extra at all."

Kitty described the arrangements for the ballroom, which would be the main gathering point for the breakfast.

"We will have a buffet set up along one wall, with several small groups of tables and chairs arranged throughout the room, with space between them for people to move around or stand and chat without bumping into anyone who is seated. People will be able to socialize better than if we had a more formal meal."

"I helped plan the decorations," said Lydia. "Instead of ordering big bunches of flowers from a London florist we are using ribbons and streamers. One of the patterns in the embroidery book showed a pretty arrangements of ribbons in a knot. I worked out how it was done and we are using it to make the joins between the streamers."

"The hothouse at Netherfield will provide several lovely bouquets of flowers as well," Kitty added. "We have decided what we would like and Mrs. Nicholls will have them cut and put in place Monday morning so they are very fresh. Mama and Jane are happy with how it is all coming together. Elizabeth and Mary did not really want a big party, but Jane likes the idea of sharing the event with all of Meryton. At Netherfield she can do that."

"It sounds like you have been putting all of your lessons to use – party planning, managing the accounts, even your embroidery," I said with a laugh.

"Yes," said Lydia. "It is fun using what we have learned. I always thought lessons were just to keep us out of trouble, but now I understand they are meant to prepare us to do other things."

I could have cried. She understood!

Kitty happily told me her chess game was improving, though she still lost every match. "I am not making as many simple errors as when I started. Papa is teaching me to look several moves ahead instead of looking just at the choice on the board in front of me. It is hard. I have never had to plan like this before. I always just did whatever seemed like a good idea at the time."

"That is one of the good points about learning chess. To play well you have to plan for several possible lines of play ahead. It teaches you to consider the consequences of your actions and choices."

"I have asked Papa to teach me to play as well," said Lydia. "Kitty and I can practice together and would both have a chance to win against each other once I catch up with Kitty. Until we are good at it neither of us will win against you or Papa unless you let us."

"And letting you win is a form of cheating," I said with a smile. "You gain a false win and we would be playing at less than our best. That would cheapen any future win when you are better because you would never be sure if you won by skill or the win was given to you."

"That is exactly how Papa explained it!" said Kitty, surprised.

"That is how my father explained it to me. I remember how thrilled I was the first time I won a game against him because I knew I had truly won it."

"I want to become good enough to play against you, Papa, Lizzy and Will and have a chance of winning fairly," Kitty announced.

"Me too," Lydia agreed.

"If that is what you want and you put in the practice, then I know you will."

0o0o0o0

Mr. Bingley joined the family for luncheon after services on Sunday. While Jane still appeared quietly serene in the expectation of her impending wedding, Mr. Bingley displayed the excitement of a puppy being offered a treat. He bounced in place when he stood, which was most of the time, for except while eating he seemed unable to sit still.

"Bingley, do settle down man! Go take a run around the house if you need to burn off some of that extra energy!" Mr. Darcy finally said.

"I cannot help it Darcy! I just want to move around. Can you believe it? I am getting married tomorrow!"

"Not if I kill you first. I mean it. Go find Teddy and play a game of ball with him or chase him around the house. Just stop bouncing!"

Mr. Bingley stopped his bouncing for a moment and looked very carefully at Mr. Darcy. Then, without a word, he turned and walked out of the room, presumably to go locate Teddy. We all laughed at that, even Jane.

"I am sorry, Jane," Mr. Darcy said to her, "I simply do not have your ability to remain calm under such provocation."

"Actually, Will," she said quietly. "I was about ready to give him the same suggestion, although I would probably have done so less forcefully. Thank you." She smiled at her brother, who gallantly bowed. We all laughed again.

"Take the lesson from your brother, Jane," said Mr. Bennet. "Sometimes it works best to hit a man over the head with a verbal plank in order for us to understand what you want of us."

"Is that the lesson I was supposed to learn?" she asked. "I am glad you explained it."

"Yes, Jane," said Elizabeth, "I have found I get much better results if I simply tell Will what I want. He does not always understand my hints."

"I just want to be sure I am right and that I have your message clear." he answered.

"Very wise," she said with a smile.

"What I want to know is if you were able to speak with Colonel Fitzwilliam yesterday evening as you planned," said Mr. Bennet.

"I was able to speak with him and I confirmed that he will attend the wedding and breakfast tomorrow. He is still working through his investigation. The good news is the investigation team now has a clear idea which members of the unit were working with Colonel Mallow's unit, which probably knew what was going on but were not actually involved in the smuggling and which were not involved in any way."

"That is excellent news," Mr. Bennet said.

"The men who were directly involved will face charges. The problem is how to deal with the middle group. They took no actions that prove they were involved, but they also did nothing to stop the problem or alert Colonel Forster. These are the individuals the investigation is currently focusing on. In an ideal situation Richard would be able to get rid of those men and retain only the ones he is certain are trustworthy. However, this is the militia and they have to take what men they can get. I am not sure how he will end up handling the situation."

"I wish him luck with it however he decides to resolve it." I agreed with Mr. Bennet's wish, as did the rest of the company judging by the nods.

When Mr. Bingley returned an hour or so later he looked very wild and blown about, but was also much calmer. He took a seat next to Jane and managed to stay there for a while.

"Did you enjoy your game with Teddy," Mr. Bennet asked with a smirk.

"I did," answered Mr. Bingley. "He is very good at catching the ball. He has a pretty good throwing arm as well." Jane gave him a smile and took his hand in hers. They sat quietly there together while the general conversation flowed around them.

0o0o0o0

Monday morning strained even Jane's nerves. Mrs. Bennet was in full flutter and worry mode. Nothing, it seemed, could calm her. Kitty and Lydia assured her that everything was well in hand, but still she worried. Mrs. Hill confirmed she had a note from Mrs. Nicholls that all was in readiness and according to plan. It was not enough. The handkerchief fluttered and she fussed. I was tempted to suggest a game of ball with Teddy, but I knew that idea would not be well received.

Elizabeth, Mary and Georgiana arrived early to help Jane dress and make her final preparations. Kitty and Lydia joined them, all six young women crowding into Jane's tiny room. Mrs. Gardiner did her best to keep Mrs. Bennet from popping her head in to fuss over Jane's dress or hair every few minutes. Without Mrs. Gardiner's help the morning would have felt even more chaotic.

Finally, though, it was time for us all to board the carriages for the short ride to the church. Elizabeth stayed with Jane and her father in the anteroom, while the rest of us went to take seats. I found a place a little back from the rest of the family and had just sat down when I heard a familiar voice ask, "May I join you?"

I looked up to see Colonel Fitzwilliam standing in the aisle. "Of course," I answered, moving in a little to give him room. He moved into the pew and sat down next to me. He looked exhausted. I was glad he was taking enough of a break to attend the wedding and hoped he still intended to join us at Netherfield for the breakfast. I smiled at him and he responded in kind, but it did not seem the moment to start a conversation. I was happy to have the company.

I saw Sir William and Lady Lucas enter and sit nearby. I noticed that when Charlotte sat down Lieutenant Andrews came up and asked to join her. She caught my eye as he sat down and we gave each other small nods of approval. The colonel noticed the interaction and looked to see what had caught my attention. He chuckled.

"Do you approve?" he asked quietly.

"Very much," I said simply. We said no more until after the ceremony.

Jane was radiant with joy as she was joined in marriage to Mr. Bingley. He had stopped bouncing but could not stop the grin that brightened his face from the moment Jane entered the church on her father's arm. I was delighted to see two people so happy to be joined together as husband and wife.

In no time at all, it seemed, the ceremony was over and Jane was married. As we stood to leave the church, the colonel offered me his arm. He walked me to the carriage I would be riding in. "I will see you at Netherfield," he said as he handed me in.

"I will count on it," I answered. We seemed to be having very brief conversations that morning. I hoped we could find a little more to say during the breakfast. He handed Kitty and Lydia into the carriage with me. Then Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner got in as well, for it was theirs, and off we went.

"Did you see Charlotte Lucas sitting with Lieutenant Andrews?" Kitty asked.

"He had to sit somewhere," I said. "Why not next to Charlotte?"

"He is clearly on the colonel's trusted list," said Mrs. Gardiner. "What do you know of him?"

"The colonel told me Lieutenant Andrews is the second son of a landed gentleman from Derbyshire, near Pemberley. He may inherit a small estate of his own from an uncle but nothing is certain yet."

"He could be a good match for her then. I remember a family called Andrews from when I lived in Lambton. I wonder if the people I knew were his family. It was some time ago. I will have to ask him if there is an opportunity to do so without interrupting any time he has with Charlotte. I am glad the colonel allowed the lieutenant to attend."

"I am glad they are both attending," I said. "The colonel looks tired. He needs a bit of a break from his work."

I was also glad no one chose to tease me about sitting with the colonel or walking out with him. Kitty and Lydia did exchange significant glances, but otherwise remained silent. I now had more to look forward to at Netherfield than just seeing all the decorative work my charges had arranged.


	38. Chapter 38

Even the weather seemed to be celebrating Jane and Mr. Bingley's marriage. Although quite crisp and cold, the sun shone brightly in a blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. Netherfield shone almost as brightly. Mrs. Nicholls must have set every servant in the place to scrubbing and polishing every visible surface, and probably those that were not visible as well. Even the roof tiles had been swept clear of the little clumps of leaves and debris that always seem to accumulate during the autumn leaving dirty little blotches in corners, cracks and crevices. The groundskeepers had been equally busy tidying and trimming the lawns, and even had borders of winter kale and other plants looking fresh and bright despite the season's chill. It was a lovely sight and appropriate for Mr. and Mrs. Bingley's new beginning.

We entered to greet the newlyweds and wish them joy. Kitty and Lydia hugged their sister and their new brother, who they now called "Charles". I barely had time to offer my own congratulations before my charges grabbed my hands and nearly dragged me to the ballroom to see the decorations. I laughed at their exuberance but let them pull me along.

The scent of fresh flowers filled the room. The hothouses at Netherfield must be quite extensive to have provided so many beautiful bouquets. They brightened strategic points in the room and two particularly fine arrangements flanked the sides of the long buffet. The streamers hung along the walls and down from the chandelier. They looked very cheerful.

"See my ribbon knots!" said Lydia. "They look like little bouquets themselves."

She was right. The arrangements of ribbons that joined each of the long streamers decorating the walls did look like little bright bouquets. The arrangement was decorative without being too fussy.

"Very well done, Lydia. You will have to show me later how you made them. They do add just the right touch." I gave her a warm smile. She had a right to feel proud of working out how to make the decoration from just the picture of an embroidered pattern.

"Watch the way people are moving into the room." said Kitty. "See how they are able to make their way over to the buffet without obstructions and how people are naturally starting to gather into those pockets between the tables to talk. Mama and I planned that."

They had placed the buffet along the correct wall to encourage people to move around freely. "I have seen parties in the Ton that were not nearly as well planned out," I told her. "The people would tend to gather and talk right in the way of everyone trying to get to the food and again on the other side as they tried to take their plates and go to a table."

"Mama said that is what would happen if we placed the buffet along the wall over there." Kitty gestured to the area where people seemed to be naturally gathering. "I had thought we should place it there because the light from the windows would show the food off better, but Mama said the placement of the door combined with that light from the windows draws people there and Mrs. Nicholls agreed with her. Clearly they were correct."

They took me around to show me various other details of the plans and decorations. On the way we stopped and chatted with several people. I finally left them in company with Maria Lucas and a few other girls and went to fill a plate and find a quiet place to sit.

I watched the crowds moving and thought of them in terms of Mrs. Bennet's idea of people moving like a river with flows and eddies. I was smiling at the thought of how well she had predicted the movements when the colonel came up with his own plate of food.

He nodded towards the empty seat next to me. "May I?'

"Of course." We still seemed to be using only short sentences.

He smiled and placed his plate and glass down on the table before taking a seat. "I am very hungry," he said and began to eat. I continued eating as well. Companionable silence worked for the time being.

After eating steadily for a time and finishing nearly everything on his plate, he finally set his fork down. "I feel much better now. The food in camp is terrible. I wish I could hire Mrs. Evans away to cook for us." He picked up a biscuit from the edge of his plate, a biscuit made by Mrs. Evans, and ate it in two bites.

I laughed softly. "You will have to stand in line behind Mary then. She has already asked Mr. Darcy if he objects to her offering Mrs. Evans a place as her housekeeper when the Darcys leave the dower house. I think she may have already talked to Mrs. Evans about the position."

"Trouble in town?" he asked with a lift of one eyebrow.

"Not really. She is just not completely comfortable with the housekeeper she has. She feels she would be happier with Mrs. Evans in charge of the house."

He nodded. "I expect running a household is not much different from running a unit in that respect. It goes more smoothly when you have people you trust in positions of responsibility." He gestured with his head toward a table where Lieutenant Andrews sat talking with Charlotte.

"Andrews has been of major assistance to me. I can trust him with any task and I know it will be done right. He is not in this for a career, but I am still hoping I can work a promotion for him. He deserves the recognition and he can be of better use to me with a higher rank."

I nodded my understanding as he ate another biscuit. "I love these," he said when he finished. "They are my favorite biscuit and no one else makes them quite like Mrs. Evans. I miss staying in the dower house and having a nearly endless supply." He looked over at Charlotte again.

"As I hope you intended, I mentioned Miss Lucas' interest in him to the lieutenant. The interest appears to be reciprocated. I will try to make sure he can find a few opportunities to spend time with her. My men will probably remain close to camp for some time and I doubt we will be returning to services for a few weeks, but I can find some errands for him or other ways to let him get away for a bit."

"I think she would appreciate that, as would Elizabeth on her behalf."

"And, by extension, my cousin who wants his wife happy in all things," he chuckled. The he grew more sober.

"Will told me you ran into Willoughby in town. He said you stood up to him while protecting Georgie at the same time. He also said you had the idea to set off rumors to counter any Willoughby might spread."

"I would never let him hurt Miss Darcy if I could prevent it. He has hurt too many people already, himself included. His life is such a waste despite all the opportunities he was given."

"Much like my brother's," he said sadly.

"Did Mr. Darcy tell you about Lord Willoughby's mud bath?" I asked hoping to lighten the mood.

"With great enthusiasm. Will has never been much for taking pleasure in other people's mishaps, but he makes exception for people who threaten those he cares about. I think he enjoyed Willoughby's roll in the mud even more than Collins' face full of pie." We both laughed.

"I felt better for finally confronting him," I said, "although my emotional response later upset and confused me. The encounter brought up far too many memories. I am glad he did not have the chance to hurt any of us. Do you believe Lord Willoughby has left the country?"

"I am not sure what to believe. I _am_ fairly certain my father and brother have gone. I got word back that the estate in Ireland had been sold last month and my father received full payment for it. If he kept those funds and what he got for the townhouse they would have plenty to set themselves up well in the Canadas or any place else they could escape from their creditors. Assuming, of course, that my father does not let my brother gamble _those_ funds away as well. Willoughby, though, does not seem the type to run."

"That is what Mr. Darcy said."

"The deciding factor may be that he has never been this close to ruin before. It might make a difference to his response."

"Actually, he was in very bad straits just before my father died. He inherited an estate from his father that was already struggling from bad management and had dragged it further into ruin with his own poor behavior in the following two years. My father's death came at just the right time to save him from the consequences of his behavior. I think he may be clinging to the hope of another fortunate last minute save."

"I wonder if he can find a convenient heiress to marry. With the rumors of his ruin rampant few fathers would give away a daughter to him even with the lure of a title. He will certainly never marry Georgie as long as Will and I live."

"She would probably do some damage to him on her own if he managed to get around you somehow. She despises the man."

"Our Georgiana is no fool."

"No, she is not, and she has learned to stand up for herself and take steps to be protected. I think our counter-rumor gambit opened her eyes to the need for acting instead of reacting when threatened."

"That campaign was a thing of beauty," he said. "For the duchess to bring in Lady Jersey to spread the rumors was a stroke of pure genius. No one would suspect they originated from Will."

"Except Lord Willoughby, of course. He clearly blamed Mr. Darcy. I was tickled to see how calmly your cousin took the accusations and admitted nothing in return. He simply dismissed Lord Willoughby like an unwelcome smell."

"Will did seem rather proud of himself when he told me of the encounter. I just wish Willoughby had not been able to take so much away from you and your family after your father's death." He looked at me very seriously. "Miss York, I think you deserve the world," he said.

"Whatever I may deserve, I do not _need_ the world," I replied and remembered Mr. Bennet's advice on plain speaking. "Colonel, I have learned the material things are never as important as having the people you love nearby."

He looked into my eyes, took a deep breath and started to speak, "I..."

Just then a large hand clapped him on the shoulder and a voice boomed. "Colonel, glad you made it out of that camp at last. Capital to see you, capital! Come tell me about this lieutenant chap who is speaking with my daughter. You do not mind, do you, Miss York?"

Actually, I minded very much but could hardly say so. The colonel had closed his eyes briefly when Sir William began to speak, breaking the link that had formed between us during our discussion. We both knew the moment had passed. He opened his eyes, looked down at his now-empty plate and back at me in apology. He could not even use the food as an excuse to stay.

"Of course, Sir William," I said, giving the polite lie. As the colonel stood to walk away I offered him one of his favorite biscuits, the last one on my plate. "One for the road, Colonel?"

"You have my undying thanks, Miss York," he said, taking it with an exaggerated bow.

Sir William looked at us both strangely. "You act as though you are going on an expedition, not walking across the room."

As they walked away I heard the colonel say softly, "The distance is far greater than you know."

Colonel Fitzwilliam and I would have no further private speech that day. His attention was claimed by one after another of the local men, all curious about the issues in camp or concerned about their family's safety.

After the colonel walked away I went to keep company with Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner while keeping an eye on Kitty and Lydia. It was a busy part of the room as neighbor after neighbor came up to congratulate Mrs. Bennet on Jane's good fortune and the excellence of the wedding breakfast. With Jane safely married and the breakfast a clear success Mrs. Bennet had returned to the newer calmer version of herself. She graciously accepted the neighbors' comments and carried herself with grace and dignity. From their expressions I could tell this was not what some of the neighbors had expected of her.

Charlotte came to join us after the lieutenant was also claimed by one of the groups of men. She pulled me a little aside and said quietly. "Whatever you said to the colonel certainly was passed on enthusiastically."

"I have noticed the lieutenant has been most attentive today."

She smiled brightly, but continued to keep her voice low. "He asked for a formal courtship and I said yes! We do not intend to announce anything until he can have a private interview with my father, but I had to tell you because I know you had a hand in it."

I gave her my most heartfelt congratulations. The colonel must have said just the right thing when he spoke with Lieutenant Andrews. Either that or Charlotte was very good at making her interest clear.

"I hope my father did not interrupt anything important earlier. I just cringed when I saw him head over there."

"He did, I think, but there is no help for it now. Either we will find a way to continue that conversation or we will not. This is actually the second time he has been interrupted just as he was about to make a declaration of some kind. I will find a way to make sure there _is_ a third opportunity."

"Oh, I hope you do and that you find the same happiness I hope to have myself."

"Quick," I said, "go whisper your news in Elizabeth's ear. She is not conversing with anyone right now and it will please her no end."

Charlotte took my hand and gave it a quick squeeze, then hurried off, still smiling. Mrs. Gardiner stepped close as she saw Charlotte whisper to Elizabeth and receive a similar smile in response.

"Good news?" she asked

"Good enough to start with, but not yet to be announced," I said with a smile of my own. She nodded in understanding and returned to Mrs. Bennet's side. I knew Elizabeth would tell Mary this evening and Mary would tell Mrs. Gardiner on the drive home.

I was truly glad for Charlotte. She had been waiting so long to find someone. She deserved a good match and a home of her own.

While sorry about the interruption by Sir William, I knew the colonel and I would eventually say what needed to be said between us. The attraction was clear on both sides. It might not be a wise match for either of us from a financial standpoint, but we could have a good future together even if we had to work for it. When the time was right I would leave him in no doubt of my feelings. I did not know what would happen then, but I hoped for my happiness as well.


	39. Chapter 39

After Jane's wedding things at Longbourn finally settled into a routine uninterrupted by holidays or other special events. Of course there were unexpected things from day to day or visitors to greet, but the rhythm of normal everyday life guided us through the next few weeks.

We set up a schedule and generally kept to it. Kitty and Lydia had a half hour each day with the appropriate parent for their lessons on estate or house management. Lydia stayed on with her father after working on the estate and he taught her chess while Kitty and I worked at the pianoforte. Later Kitty would join her father for a chess lesson while Lydia and I worked on her reading skills, which were improving rapidly.

We had time set aside for lessons on deportment and good carriage. We also worked on embroidery and knitting. I had discovered they both knew how to do plain knitting, but could not do any fancy stitches or turn the heel on a stocking. We would remedy that problem with a bit of practice. We added general history and geography lessons to give them a broader view of the world around them.

I also started them learning French. As I had expected, Lydia's good memory helped her quickly learn vocabulary and pronunciation. Kitty was not as quick to pick it up, but she still learned and had a good ear for the sounds. Within the week we could carry on simple conversations together.

We carried our embroidery or knitting into the drawing room when receiving visitors. It was embroidery for both girls the day after the wedding when Lady Lucas and Charlotte visited to share Charlotte's good news. Her courtship with Lieutenant Andrews was official.

I joined the rest in offering congratulations. After all, _now_ it was official. Mrs. Bennet was sincere in her congratulations as well, but I could see some elements of both the long term friendship and rivalry between her and Lady Lucas in the conversation that followed. It was, as she pointed out, only a courtship although it would probably become an engagement soon. She did ask about his family and prospects. As the son of a land owner and likely to be one himself if the expectations from his uncle came to pass, the lieutenant was a good match. He was actually of higher standing the Mr. Bingley, although Jane's husband was far wealthier. As a second son he was closer in standing to Dr. Burrows who was also the second son of a landowner although again, wealthier. He was nowhere near Mr. Darcy's consequence, so Mrs. Bennet could feel she had still come out a little ahead in the game. Lady Lucas was clearly relieved that Charlotte was no longer likely to remain a spinster. That her daughter liked the man was simply a bonus.

Charlotte assured me that she did like Lieutenant Andrews very much and would have no qualms accepting a proposal of marriage from him. They may have spent little time together, but they had apparently made the most of it. "Besides," she told me, "happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other it does not advance their felicity in the least. It is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. It is your own choice to be happy or not and dwelling on your partner's defects does nothing to advance your happiness."

What she said made sense, although I felt it would still be wise to choose someone whose company you found appealing. I asked her if she thought he would propose soon.

"I will be providing him with very strong hints that I find him an acceptable marriage prospect. I hope to be married before Eliza and her husband depart for Derbyshire."

"Mr. Bennet says that a woman must sometimes hit the man over the head with a verbal plank instead of trying to be subtle or give hints. If your hints do not bear fruit you might try just telling him when you would like to marry. I am not sure I would have the courage myself, but it is a suggestion."

We laughed together at the idea. I then said, "Colonel Fitzwilliam told me he finds your lieutenant absolutely reliable. He said he is hoping to be able to arrange a promotion for the lieutenant because he deserves the recognition."

She smiled to hear of the colonel's good opinion. "Lieutenant Andrews says the colonel is the finest officer he has served. Colonel Fitzwilliam works hard and values fair dealings over rank or status. He also shows his appreciation when his men do a good job, something that is apparently a rare characteristic in the militia."

"The colonel may be working _too_ hard. He looked very tired yesterday and he said the food in the camp was terrible. He may not be eating enough to keep up his energy."

"The lieutenant mentioned the lack of good food as well. I wonder if there is a solution."

"Elizabeth told me that between them Mrs. Nicholls and Mrs. Hill know everyone in service within a radius of about 20 miles. Perhaps they might know of someone who would be interested in cooking for the unit. If they suggest someone we could let Elizabeth know and she would tell Mr. Darcy who could tell the colonel. I am certain arrangements could be made."

"That is right. Mrs. Nicholls and Mrs. Hill do always seem to find the right person when consulted. Ask Mrs. Hill. If I see the Lieutenant in the next few days I will tell him the idea as well. He was not sure how often he could get away from camp to see me."

"The colonel told me he would find ways for the lieutenant to be able to visit with you even with most of the unit confined to camp."

"That is very good of him. Hopefully he will find ways to visit you."

"We shall see."

Our conversation had given me another idea which I did not tell Charlotte. It had come to me that Kitty and Lydia might need a passing acquaintance with the art of cooking. Who better to teach them than Mrs. Evans. And if I happened to convince her to show me how to make those biscuits the colonel enjoyed so much, then of course I would have to make some and get them to him. I would send a note to Elizabeth asking if Kitty and Lydia could spend a few hours with Mrs. Evans. Perhaps Mildred and Miss Darcy would join us.

Cooking _was_ added to our schedule of lessons every Friday afternoon. Elizabeth had responded to my note with the news that Mrs. Evans would be pleased to have the girls come for basic cooking lessons. Miss Darcy was looking forward to joining them. Kitty and Lydia were not certain it was a good idea, but I persuaded them by insisting that knowing the basics would help them better understand what went into a food budget and why the household would need certain types and volumes of food ingredients. I told them it could be fun, too, which they seemed more inclined to believe than my first attempts at persuasion.

While I waited for our first cooking lesson on Friday I took the time to speak with Mrs. Hill regarding the poor food at the militia camp. She said it was no wonder the food was terrible. The cook Colonel Forster hired had been dismissed from no less than three positions in the vicinity due to her lack of skill, which is why she had been willing to accept a lower salary. Colonel Forster and his wife had their own cook and did not eat with the others of the unit, so were not affected by the poor cooking the other soldiers endured. Most of them had made up for it by eating at the inn or accepting dinner invitations from anyone who offered.

Mrs. Hill said she would check with her cousin, Mrs. Nicholls, to see if there were some better alternatives available. Now that they had weeded out the bad ones, the remaining officers deserved much better in her opinion. Two days later she told me Mrs. Nicholls had sent one of the grooms from Netherfield with a message for Colonel Fitzwilliam offering the name of a replacement cook who would be willing to take on the job. The colonel had responded by extending an offer of immediate employment. Mealtimes should be much more pleasant for the men going forward. The new cook might not be Mrs. Evans, but she had to be an improvement over the cook Colonel Forster hired.

We walked over to the dower house on Friday for our cooking lesson. I nearly laughed out loud when Kitty and Lydia proudly greeted their sisters in French only to be taken aback a moment later when Miss Darcy replied with phrases they had not yet learned.

"I guess we have not gotten that far yet," said Lydia, shaking her head sadly.

"Just keep practicing and learning," said Elizabeth with a smile. "You will get there."

Returning to English, the sisters all greeted each other again, laughing as they did so. Miss Darcy told them she missed being at Longbourn with them, but she was enjoying being with Elizabeth and her brother.

"It feels like both places are home," she said, "and I am sorry I can only be in one or the other at any given time."

"We miss having you with us too," Kitty said. "It is strange now with all our sisters gone away. The house is certainly much quieter."

"Except when Kitty is practicing the pianoforte," said Lydia with a laugh.

"I am glad we have Georgie here," said Elizabeth. "I need to have at least one sister around after a lifetime of having four."

I greeted Mildred, glad to see she was fully recovered from her illness. She told me even the cough was gone. Her energy level was back to normal as well. I was more pleased than ever that Mr. Darcy was a considerate employer and had not insisted she travel to London in the cold when she was not feeling well.

We entered the kitchen to find Mrs. Evans ready for us with three small mixing bowls and three sets of measured amounts of flour and sugar in cups. There was also a small amount of butter in a cup. She had the three young ladies stand across the worktable from her while Elizabeth, Mildred and I stood behind them.

"Now, do you all know what a recipe is?" she asked.

"Is it the set of instructions that tell you how to make something?" asked Miss Darcy.

"That is right. Not every cook can read and write, so many will just memorize how to make the things they want. It is still a recipe, just in their memory instead of on paper. Those of us who do a great deal of cooking, and know how to read, will collect notes of how we make things and what goes into them. We might also exchange recipes with our friends or have the notes from our mothers or grandmothers. There are also books one can buy with collected recipes from other people. The problem is that not everyone finds the same information important. If I am writing a recipe just for myself I may include a list of the ingredients and how much of each, but no instructions on how to put them together or how long to cook the item because I will already know that. Or I may simply make a note of something special I need to remember but not write down all the ingredients. This can create a problem if someone else tries to use my written recipe."

"Is that why Mama's mince pie tastes different from the one Aunt Phillips serves even though they both use Grandmother Bennet's recipe?" asked Lydia.

"Exactly," Mrs. Evans replied. "They both have the same list of ingredients, probably they know how much of each to use, but the instructions may not be complete, so your mother's cook may put them together just a little differently which affects the final taste. I want to show you the difference just a tiny change in how you handle the ingredients can change the finished item. This is an important part of cooking and particularly baking." She gestured at the bowls in front of her.

"We are going to use three simple ingredients that are part of most baked goods. We are not making anything in particular with them, I am simply demonstrating, so we are only going to use a little of each. I have already measured a small amount of sugar, flour and butter, using the same amount for each mix. The butter you see here has been sitting in the warm kitchen and is warm and soft, but not melted." She brought a cup with a small amount of melted butter from the stove to place next to one mixing bowl. She left the kitchen and came back with another cup of butter that looked firm and cold.

"All three of these are the same amount of butter," she told us. "I want you to see the difference a change in the temperature of an ingredient like butter can make. We are going to do everything else the same. Now sometimes you mix the butter and sugar first and then add the flour. For our purposes here we are going to mix the flour and sugar, the dry ingredients, together then add the butter." She dumped the small amounts of sugar and flour into each of the bowls and blended them together with her hand.

"Now to add the butter," she said. "The melted butter we pour in and stir a few times and it all blends together very easily." She demonstrated.

"The softened butter also stirs together easily, but the mix is firmer than with the melted butter. Again we only stir it a little, just enough to blend it all. Now this last bit of butter has been in the cold room. It does not really want to blend, but I am going to use my hands and break it up so the flour and sugar stick to the tiny bits of hard butter. Again, I will only do enough to make all the ingredients stick together." When she was done she showed us the three bowls.

"See how this one is more liquid than the other two, and the last one still has tiny clumps of butter that are just coated in the flour and sugar mix. Now we are going to bake them for a short time." She scooped the contents of each bowl out onto a baking sheet, making three flattened rounds of dough, and placed the sheet in the oven.

"While that bakes, I clean up," she told us, taking the various dishes over to the washtub and washing them out. She wiped off the table, placed two trivets on it, then looked at us.

"You saw that I already had my ingredients measured and ready. Sometimes you need to put things together quickly for the recipe to work correctly. You cannot do that if you have to stop and measure. It also means you know ahead of time that you have everything you need. You do not want to be halfway through mixing things up and find that you only have two cups of flour but you need three. If you know in advance you do not have enough you can either make something else, procure the rest of what you need or make a smaller batch. You have choices."

"You plan ahead, like in chess," Kitty said.

Mrs. Evans nodded. "That is right, dear. Now let us check our experiment."

She opened the oven and nodded in approval. "Just right," she said as she pulled out the baking tray and brought it to the table, balancing it across the two trivets.

"We will let these cool for a moment and then we can look at the differences."

"I can already see the one one made with melted butter is flatter and wider. The other two look different from each other as well, but I cannot tell what makes them different."

"We will get there. Now, you are all gentlewomen. It is likely that the men you marry will be able to afford hiring a cook for you. You will guide your cook by consulting on menus, providing a budget or placing orders for food items and expressing your tastes. I am giving this demonstration so you will know there is more to cooking than just having a list of ingredients. We will make some simple things together, so you know enough to begin if you had to start cooking for yourself. It is understanding this bit of things that will help you be more successful with anything you try."

"I know my mother had a hard time of it at first when she had to cook for herself," I told them. "She was very frustrated that the porridge would be smooth and properly cooked one day yet lumpy and half-burned the next when she thought she was making it the same way."

"For a new cook there are many little things she may not know about that can make a difference – how the fire was built up, whether your oven keeps a steady heat or has hot spots, did you mix the ingredients well enough, did you mix them too much. After you have experience you stop thinking about all those things and simply adjust for them. Now, let us make some tea. By that time these will have cooled enough for our purposes."

She walked the girls through the steps for making a good pot of tea. They had watched others prepare the tea for years, but Kitty and Lydia, in particular, had never really thought about the process or paid attention. Someone would pour tea in their cup and they drank it.

"Next time one of you will make the pot for all of us," Mrs. Evans said with a smile as we sipped. "Now, let us take these simple biscuits one by one." She picked up the one that had been made with melted butter and broke it in half. It made a snapping sound.

"You see this one is crisp and somewhat brittle." She broke it into pieces and had us each take a bite. It was crunchy and a little chewy.

"This one is softer," she said, breaking the one made with the softened butter. We each tried a bit and found it had a smooth texture and actually tasted a little different.

"Now the last one," she said. This one was crumblier and again had just a slightly different taste.

"Which one is right?" asked Lydia.

"All of them," said Mrs. Evans. "It all depends on the effect you want to achieve. You see how having the cold butter and not mixing it all the way in made your end result crumbly. In some recipes you use that method to make things like a flaky pastry. Softened or melted butter will not make your pastry come out the same. The same ingredients, even in the same proportions can give you completely different results depending on the order and method you put them together and how you bake them."

Lydia gave me a very suspicious look. "This is like the stories by Aesop. If you read them one way they are just simple stories. But if you think about them or look at them from different angles they mean other things. We could be talking about baking biscuits but we could also be talking about people, like me and my sisters. We all are made of the same ingredients. We have the same mother and father and grew up in the same house. But we were all mixed differently or baked at different temperatures, so we are very different people."

I was rather astounded by her insight. In fact, it left me speechless. I had no objection to the lesson, but I had certainly not planned it.

"I can tell you have been debating with Papa," said Elizabeth. "He would be very proud of you for that insight. I do not think any of us intended a deeper lesson than how to bake successfully, but you certainly found one. Can you think of other places this lesson might apply?"

"Maybe after I finish my tea," said Lydia with a grin.

We all laughed.


	40. Chapter 40

I felt very vulnerable when I asked Mrs. Evans to teach me to make the colonel's favorite biscuits in a quiet moment after the lesson ended. With the request I was essentially declaring my interest in a man with whom I had no understanding and that to someone who was a near stranger. I need not have worried she would judge me ill, however.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Evans told me with a smile when I made my request. "We can make up a big batch together next Friday for Mr. Darcy to take into camp. The colonel will have plenty to eat and to share with his favorite officers. He needs a few treats to carry him through the hard work he is doing."

I was very grateful to her for agreeing and for doing it in a way that did not expose me even more. The visit that day had been perfect, both the intended and the unintended lessons. After our tea she had gone over simple things like how to boil an egg, how to make smooth, properly cooked porridge and how to cut various vegetables for more even cooking. The last lesson started with tips on how to use and care for a cooking knife properly. I had certainly never given much thought to the tools a cook would use. A knife was a knife and I had never supposed they needed any particular care beyond avoiding cutting oneself. It gave me reason to question many of the things I simply assumed about the tools and tasks around me. I was reminded that we were all learning. It pleased me when Kitty and Lydia admitted they not only learned, they had fun doing so and looked forward to the next lesson.

0o0o0o0

I was not really surprised the militia did not attend services on Sunday. The colonel had told me it would be a few more weeks. I had a feeling it would be just as long before I saw _him_ again as well. He did not seem the type to take advantages for himself that he did not allow for his men.

The Darcys and Bingleys joined us at Longbourn for luncheon after services. I suspected this would be the routine each Sunday until the Darcys left for Pemberley. Miss Darcy sat with Kitty and Lydia while Jane and Elizabeth visited with each other. Jane still looked radiantly happy and Mr. Bingley seemed more besotted than ever. He was a bit calmer than the previous week, but still had a bounce to his step and an ever-present grin on his face. At least he was able to keep his seat while talking with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet instead of jumping up every few minutes as he had the week before.

Mildred and I talked with Mrs. Bennet about a number of topics. At one point I mentioned to Mildred how much I had enjoyed our time with Mrs. Evans.

"The cooking lesson was a good idea for the young ladies," Mildred said.

"Cooking lesson!" said Mrs. Bennet in amazement and shock. "My daughters are gentlewomen. We can afford a cook. Why would they need to learn cooking?"

"Do not worry, Mrs. Bennet," I said. "They are not learning to cook for a living, they are just becoming familiar with some of the basic concepts. It will help them better understand what challenges a cook would face and why the kitchen budget would include what it does."

"They will gain just enough practical experience that they could prepare a simple meal for themselves if circumstances absolutely required it," Mildred added.

"Are you sure about this? Miss Darcy joined them?" Mrs. Bennet asked uncertainly.

"She did," confirmed Mildred, "and Mr. Darcy gave his approval. He said his father had him spend time working in the stables and with the gardening staff to help him understand and appreciate the responsibilities of his staff. He saw no harm in his sister spending some time with Mrs. Evans learning how to boil an egg or bake some biscuits."

"The girls enjoyed the lesson we had on Friday and are looking forward to doing a little bit of baking this next Friday. Two or three more lessons will teach them what they need."

"They will not be washing dishes or doing anything that will damage their hands, will they? It is important for a gentlewoman to have nice smooth hands and the hot water and scrubbing is not good for them."

"They will not wash dishes or do anything to hurt their hands. We do not expect them to be servants, just to learn a few new skills and gain a better understanding of a cook's role."

"I suppose, if Mr. Darcy approves, there is no harm in it. You say they will be baking on Friday?" She brightened a bit at the thought.

"Yes," I said. "Mrs. Evans will be teaching us to make biscuits."

"You will bring some back to Longbourn with you, will you not? I do love Mrs. Evans' biscuits."

I promised her we would bring some biscuits back with us. They would be nice to have with tea on Saturday and the promise helped her accept the cooking lessons a little more. Mildred and I shifted the conversation to other things until it was time to go eat.

0o0o0o0

Charlotte visited Longbourn on Wednesday. She told me Lieutenant Andrews had been allowed to visit with her for an hour the previous evening.

"I understand the arrival of the militia's new cook quelled a near uprising," she told me. "The entire unit was disgusted with the food and both hungry and cranky as a result. Since they could not escape to the inn or accept local hospitality like they did before the lock down, all of them had been forced to deal with very bad food. Most complained it was worse than what they would get if they were on the continent moving from battlefield to battlefield, although the colonel would be the only one with real experience to confirm that. The lieutenant said the new cook arrived just in time."

"I am glad we thought to get help for them. Things were much worse than I realized, although Mrs. Hill told me the cook Colonel Forster had hired was available at the time because she had been dismissed from her three previous positions due to her lack of skill."

"I can believe that. The lieutenant tells me that the new cook is a wonder, although they do say hunger makes the best sauce. He told me even after the restrictions on leaving camp are eased the men may stay close by for meals given the improvement in the food offered in the mess."

"Good. The colonel will like that. Having happy, well-fed men is probably better for the changes he is trying to make for the unit."

"I agree. Now, tell me about this cooking class you had on Friday. I overheard a little of what Kitty and Lydia have been saying to Maria."

"Our discussion about cooks last week made me realize Kitty and Lydia should at least be exposed to the basics of cooking. I know that was one of the harder tasks my mother had to learn after my father's death when she could no longer afford a servant. She was fortunate to have help from two neighbors, women who also had to dismiss their servants when their husbands died and left them without an income. They passed on what other helpful neighbors had taught them." I told Charlotte what Mrs. Evans had demonstrated for us.

"I have had a little more experience in the kitchen than the Bennet girls," she told me. "We do have servants, but my mother felt it was good for us to learn some of those basic things. It certainly will not hurt Kitty and Lydia even if they never need the skills they are taught. What will you be learning this Friday?"

I blushed in embarrassment, but told her anyway. "I have asked Mrs. Evans to teach me how to make the colonel's favorite biscuits."

Charlotte shook her head, but smiled. "And will your efforts be delivered?"

"Mrs. Evans said she will send them to the camp with Mr. Darcy."

"A wise plan. He will appreciate them, even with a new capable cook in the camp."

Charlotte asked me to tell her a little about my life before my father's death. We had a nice conversation about some of the ways our lives had been similar and how they had also differed. I felt it was nice to have a friend nearby.

0o0o0o0

Friday finally arrived along with the much anticipated baking lesson. Mrs. Evans was kind enough not to tell the others why we were making biscuits that day. She had us divided up to make three different kinds of biscuit. Of course I was working on the colonel's. She had written out a copy of each recipe with full instructions. She had each group measure out all the ingredients and then put them together following the instructions while she walked around the work table making sure we were doing it correctly. We slid tray after tray of biscuits into the oven, following her guidance on making sure we kept it at an even heat. Tray after tray came out to cool. The kitchen smelled lovely with both sweet and spicy scents.

We had a small selection of each type of biscuit to enjoy, still warm, with our tea. Kitty did a good job making the tea and Lydia poured for us. It was fun to sit around the table for a chat while eating treats we had made ourselves.

Later we packaged the biscuits into tins. There was one tin to go back to Longbourn with us and the others would be carried off to the militia camp. She did not say so, but I had a feeling Mrs. Evans would make sure somehow that the colonel knew I had helped bake them. With my copy of the recipe I was fairly sure I could make them again sometime should the need and opportunity arise.

0o0o0o0

Sunday brought a pleasant surprise. We arrived later than usual at the church for services and found a number of red-coated men heading into the building. The militia were able to attend the regular service again! I had just registered this thought when the colonel came up beside me, bowed and enthusiastically said, "Thank you very much!"

"For what?" I asked, wanting to be sure I understood his meaning.

"For the cook, for the thought and for the excellent biscuits." he said, smiling.

"You are most welcome to them all," I answered with a quick curtsy.

We had to go in then as the services were about to start. He offered his arm and escorted me to the pews used by the Bennet family before he went to join a group of his men. He looked better than he had the day of the wedding breakfast. I guessed he must have gotten some sleep as well as having a few decent meals. I turned and just confirmed that he really was there. He was. He saw me looking and smiled again. As I turned back, I saw Lieutenant Andrews sitting with Charlotte's family. There were some definite benefits to an _open_ courtship.

I found it hard to concentrate on the sermon that day. I wanted to turn around and just look at him. However, I had to set a good example for Kitty and Lydia, so I kept my eyes front and at least gave the appearance of attention. I wondered if he would join the Darcys and the Bingleys at Longbourn for luncheon.

Much to my sorrow he was not able to join us for luncheon. He came to greet the Bennet family as well as his cousin and the Bingley's as we left the church after services. Mrs. Bennet did offer and invitation.

"I am very sorry I cannot accept today," he said in response. "While I have allowed my men to attend services here at the church I have instructed them to return to camp for the remainder of the day. I need to stay at the camp with them. We are making good progress on reorganizing the unit and I do not want to disrupt that no matter how much I would enjoy a visit to Longbourn."

He chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet for a few moments more, then said his farewells as we headed to the carriages. He did linger for a moment near me and said again softly. "You truly made my work much easier. Thank you." He then walked away to rejoin his unit for their trip back to camp.

I spent the rest of the day almost as distracted as I had been in church. I was so happy not just to see Colonel Fitzwilliam but to see that he was better rested and better fed. I had worried about the stress he was under between the smuggling investigation, the problems with his father and taking over the unit after the death of his friend, Colonel Forster. Top all of that with lack of sleep and poor food and it was a recipe for illness.

I had to wonder at myself, pining for the simple sight of a man. I had never felt like this before and it was very disconcerting. I was Sophia York – calm, practical, level-headed Miss York, the governess. I thought I was supposed to be teaching Kitty and Lydia not to chase after officers, yet here I was mooning over one myself while encouraging my friend Charlotte Lucas while she did the same. I wondered if my charges had picked up on the irony of that yet. Given the insight Lydia had been showing lately I fully expected to hear about it if we ever discussed the term "irony".

Though strange and uncomfortable, these giddy, floating feelings I had every time I thought of the colonel fed something inside me I had not even known was there. I could understand now why girls would throw away everything to run off with a man. I recognized much of this as infatuation, but I recognized something else as well. Under this feeling that bubbled like newly opened champagne lay a soft warm glow of respect and love for Richard Fitzwilliam. It too was strange, but somehow I knew I would carry it with me to the end of my days whether I found a way to spend my life with him or not. The giddy, sparkling feeling would fade in time. This deeper feeling was now a part of my soul.


	41. Chapter 41

We passed another week following the established routines. Our lessons were proceeding well and I was very pleased at the progress Kitty and Lydia were making. Both young ladies had, I think, finally realized the benefits of learning the various accomplishments and becoming more polished in their behavior. They were now taking an active part in their educations, asking questions and practicing what they learned instead of merely accepting whatever education I imposed upon them.

To help with their French lessons I gave them some French folk songs to work on. Kitty learned a simple accompaniment for each song and they practiced singing together while she played. Both agreed they could use the songs for performance pieces if they became skilled enough, so they worked towards that goal. Once they had the words and tune down I provided tips to help improve their singing style and phasing. We worked out an issue with Kitty's fingering of the accompaniments and the songs began to sound very good. Their voices blended well together.

Lady Lucas, Charlotte and Miss Maria visited on Wednesday, coincidentally arriving at the same time as Elizabeth and Miss Darcy, who had walked over from the dower house. While Lady Lucas and Mrs. Bennet chatted together on one side of the room and the four younger girls gathered in another area, Charlotte, Elizabeth and I sat together to have our own quiet discussion.

"How is your courtship going?" I asked our friend. "Have you been able to hint at your desire to marry soon?"

"I did get to see him for a little while yesterday, but my father insisted on staying in the room to talk with him. I could have simply strangled him," she sighed in frustration. "I was hardly able to hint at the best possible wedding dates with my father sitting there. I did tell him later that if he wanted me to get to know the man and possibly become engaged he needed to stay out of it and let _me_ talk with him."

"Your father does mean well," Elizabeth said. "He is like my mother in some ways. They both become so excited in company they do not always read the social clues other people try to give them."

"I know, and I certainly do not blame him. It is just frustrating. The lieutenant did have the chance to tell me he and the other officers enjoyed some of the biscuits Mr. Darcy delivered to Colonel Fitzwilliam last Friday. Apparently there was one tin the colonel kept to himself," she said with a smirk, "but he was willing to share the rest of the biscuits."

"We had fun making making them. I am sure my sisters will be happy to hear they were well enjoyed."

"Mrs. Bennet enjoyed her share as well." I added. "In fact she almost made it a condition that we had to bring some back to her if she was going to allow the cooking class to happen." We all laughed at that.

"What else have you heard from the camp? Will brings some news back when he visits his cousin, but I am sure the lieutenant has a different perspective."

"He said they have been doing a great deal of training over the last few weeks, mostly marching drills and shooting practice. The colonel also provided a very interesting, if a little dangerous, training opportunity for those brave enough to attempt it. He purchased a horse from Mr. Turnwell, a big black beast the colonel calls 'Old Satan'." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at the horse's name, but did not interrupt.

"He says saddling and riding this horse is like dealing with an animal who has been spooked in battle, only this horse knows exactly what he is doing. He had the men set up a training ring, with straw bales for some protection all the way around on either side of the fencing and a good layer of straw strewn in the ring. The challenge is to saddle the horse and see how many times you can ride it around the ring, but no cruelty to the horse is allowed. Lieutenant Andrews said some of the men who fancied themselves good riders quickly learned the task was nowhere near as easy as it sounded. The horse seems to consider the exercise a game."

"In what way?" I asked.

"Sometimes he will not even let the man near enough to catch and saddle him. He will buck and prance just out of reach and lead him on a merry chase. Other times he will stand docile and let the man saddle him up and mount, then he will simply take quick run and toss the rider into a straw bale. Other times he will go around the ring a few times and then start to act up, rearing and dancing before throwing the rider. It seems to depend on who is trying to ride him and what his mood is that day. The lieutenant also told me that the horse seems to be generally careful to dump his rider on a straw bale where the man is less likely to get hurt. Without the colonel's no cruelty rule some of the men have become frustrated enough at the exercise they might have been tempted to hurt the horse. The colonel says Old Satan is just doing his job as a trainer."

After our chuckles died down I asked, "Elizabeth, you seemed to recognize the horse's name. What do you know about him?"

"That was the horse Mr. Wickham stole when he tried to leave Meryton. The man was caught because the horse threw him in a hedge, injuring him badly in the process. Richard found the horse and picked up on Mr. Wickham's trail because of it. Richard tried to put a rope bridle on the horse to lead him back to Mr. Turnwell and said Old Satan nearly bit his hand off. In the end he left the horse standing there by the hedge happily cropping the grass. All he could do was alert Mr. Turnwell to the horse's location. I am surprised he bought the horse, but it certainly will provide the men with good training if no one is badly hurt in the process."

"Lieutenant Andrews said that the colonel has forbidden high stakes betting in the camp as detrimental to morale, but the men have been making low stakes bets on the outcome of their attempts to ride the horse. Some men were betting their small stash of the biscuits you made on whether one of their fellows could make 10 rounds of the area before the horse threw him. It has given them much entertainment."

"I guess he learned what the horse was good for, since it is clearly not a good riding animal. Apparently it _is_ a good trainer and morale booster. I suppose even horses have to find their proper place in the order of things," I said.

We all laughed at the thought. The conversation then turned to our cooking lessons. I told Charlotte we would would only have one or two more sessions since the idea was to help make the young ladies familiar with basic ideas of cooking, but not to actually cook a meal. We discussed our plans and simply enjoyed the company until Lady Lucas was ready to leave.

0o0o0o0

Sunday morning I woke up smiling at the thought I would most likely see Colonel Fitzwilliam at services that day. I made sure I looked as neat and attractive as possible, then headed downstairs. If we were not late again I might have a chance to speak with the colonel for a few moments before we went in.

 _We_ were not late this time. The colonel was. Our party had already taken our places when the colonel and his men arrived. He saw me watching him as he entered and gave me a smile and small nod before taking his place with his men.

I had no better luck speaking with him after services. He was delayed by a small group of the local men as he tried to leave the church. By the time he got outside our party was already boarding the carriages. I had been watching for him and saw him looking around when he finally made it outside. He looked a little frustrated when he caught sight of us preparing to drive off. When he caught my eye he gave me a wry smile and small wave. I nodded back just as we set off.

I hoped he had not been delayed by anything too serious. At least I would probably hear about it second hand from Lieutenant Andrews by way of Charlotte. Unless they found better things to discuss when they next met, that is.

0o0o0o0

Nothing of real importance broke our regular routine until Thursday afternoon. Lady Lucas and Charlotte brought an air of excitement with them when they came to announce Charlotte's engagement to Lieutenant Andrews. Lady Lucas was so thrilled by the news she barely let Mrs. Bennet speak her words of congratulation.

Charlotte was no less excited, but she was a bit more willing to converse rather than crow about it. I asked if she had needed the verbal plank method to prompt the proposal.

"I used it whether I needed it or not," she said with a smile. "When he arrived earlier today he said he only had an hour and then he needed to get back. My whole family was there in the drawing room and did not seem inclined to let me have any private time with him, so I suggested a walk despite how cold it is today. Maria came as chaperone, but I asked her to hang back a little and she did."

"And?" I prompted.

"I told him that I hoped he would forgive me for being so forward but I knew he was the man I wished to marry and wanted to be sure he would not delay a proposal just because he thought _I_ needed time. He took me at my word and dropped to one knee. He proposed and I accepted." She took a deep happy sounding breath. "I am engaged!" she almost squealed it.

"Have you set the date?"

"We will be married in a month, after the banns have been read. He is hoping his family will be able to come."

"I am so happy for you, Charlotte!"

I truly was happy for her. She would be married to a man she respected. He might not be excessively wealthy but he was not penniless. It seemed to me that even if he were, he was the kind of man who would work tirelessly to support his family. Charlotte was steady and practical and would find a way to make the most of whatever he provided. Perhaps Mr. Darcy could have found her a wealthier match, but I do not think he could have found her a better one.

0o0o0o0

Friday brought a surprise of its own. In the early afternoon the Darcys arrived. Mr. Darcy explained he had a note from the colonel asking him to join the Bennets. Apparently he had some news he only wished to say once. We all gathered in the drawing room to await Colonel Fitzwilliam's arrival.

"Did Charlotte tell you her news?" Elizabeth asked me.

"I think her mother brought her here first, to tell Mrs. Bennet before anyone else could. I am pleased for her. She should be happy."

"I think so as well. Will has done some checking and they are a good family. The father's estate is comparable to Longbourn. It has been well-managed and is profitable. If the family supports the match they may help the couple along. Charlotte's dowry may not be large, but if the lieutenant is able to set it aside for her future she should be secure enough even if he does not inherit his uncle's estate."

"You will be pleased to see your friend settled, will you not?"

"Very. I know she worried she might never find a husband. I was afraid she might accept someone like Mr. Collins just to avoid being a burden to her family. There are so few eligible single men in this area. It can be very difficult just to find a dance partner, let alone a husband. My sisters and I have been very fortunate."

"I think your husband, Mr. Bingley and Dr. Burrows believe they are the fortunate ones."

"Well, they are," she said with a smirk. "Nothing says good fortune can only go one way."

"And you and your husband will help when it is time for Kitty and Lydia to find someone."

"Yes, they have made great strides already in moderating their behavior with your guidance. I am sure they will be able to come out when Georgie does and with the Darcy backing they should do well even without a large dowry. We may even be able to include Maria Lucas in the group. As my husband likes to say, there is safety in numbers. I think there may be opportunity as well."

"I will do my best to make sure Kitty and Lydia are ready when the time comes."

"Who knows, perhaps before then some good fortune will befall _you_ as well. Speaking of which, here comes Richard."

It took an act of will not to whip my head around to look. I turned slowly, proud I had managed to appear calm as the colonel walked into the drawing room. He greeted us all before saying, "Thank you, Darcy, for joining us here. I have some news and wanted to tell everyone at once."

"It is no problem, Richard. Please give us your news."

"I had word from Mr. Gardiner earlier. Hampton has been spotted in London again. It is certain now _he_ has not fled the country. Our investigators had a confirmed sighting and witnesses who positively identified him. My men wanted to detain him for questioning, but he slipped away. They are searching some of the seedier areas of London for him now. We do not know his intent in returning to London, but he must have some kind of plan and a very good reason. He has to know we are searching for him."

"What of Willoughby?" asked Mr. Darcy.

"I stationed a few men in Kent and had them visiting the various ports to watch for him. We have had two presumed sightings, but in both cases he eluded my men before they could confirm his identity or detain him. One was in Hythe, where we originally lost his trail. The second was in a tiny coastal village where our man stopped for a pint and a chance to rest his horse. He took just a little too long to realize he may have spotted Willoughby and by that time he had lost the trail again. They are still looking. Even without confirmation of identity, I believe Willoughby _is_ still in England and probably in Kent."

"How can we help?" asked Mr. Bennet.

"Be cautious," answered the colonel. "I know I could have sent you a note, but I came in person because I believe this is a serious matter and I want you to understand that as well. Willoughby is on the run. He resents Will and may also blame Miss York for his predicament because she stood up to him in London. It would not have been difficult for him to find out about Elizabeth's background and the connection to the Bennets. He could target any one of you as a way to revenge himself upon Will. I am not saying you need to hide in fear, but I ask that you use caution. Do not walk out alone. Be wary of strangers you might see in the vicinity."

"What could he hope to gain by attacking us?" Mrs. Bennet asked fearfully.

"As I said, he may wish to hurt Will by attacking the people he cares about. I would hope he realizes he has no claim on Georgiana, but it is hard to say where his mind is at. He is on the run and may be desperate. Go about your daily business, but be aware of what is going on around you so you do not give him an easy target."

We were all a little unnerved by the news we might be in danger, but Mrs. Bennet was particularly fearful. The colonel sat down beside her and took her hand in his. Very gently he apologized for frightening her. He assured her he would have men watching out for any danger and he had only intended to make sure she would not leave the vicinity of Longbourn alone.

Mr. Bennet sat down on her other side and also took her hand in his. He patted it gently and said,

"Now Fanny, calm down. You are safe here at home and you know you always prefer to take the girls and Miss York with you when you go out visiting anyway. We can have an extra footman go along with you if you must go into Meryton."

Mrs. Bennet still seemed frightened although she was calming. The colonel asked if she would like to have him post a pair of men at Longbourn. It would not be like having a guest, he told her. The men could eat with the servants and sleep with the men who worked in the stables. They would be on duty and would take turns walking the property near the main house to watch for danger. He would change out the men on watch every week and use the situation as a training exercise.

Just as Mrs. Bennet started to tell him how grateful she would be, Mrs. Hill walked in and came over to me.

"Miss York," she said, offering me a letter, "an express rider just arrived with this letter for you. I am giving him a bite to eat while you read it and see if he needs to carry a response."

I took the letter and she left. Everyone was looking at me, curious to know what might be in the express. Even Mrs. Bennet seemed distracted from her fear.

I recognized the writing. "It is from my sister, Grace." I told the company as I broke the seal.

The news was not good. Grace had written it in agitation and some parts were completely illegible. I made out enough to know she was in trouble.

"Her writing is difficult to make out in places, but something happened at her school last night and all the students have been told to leave immediately. The school is shut down as of this morning. She writes that she has gone to an inn in the closest village with a few of the other girls who are waiting for their parents to arrive, but she does not have enough money to pay for more than one night. I am sorry Mr. Bennet, but I need to go to her as quickly as I can get a post carriage." I was near tears at this point. "I do not know where I can take her, but I cannot return until I find her a place."

"You do not need to travel post, Miss York," Mr. Darcy spoke up. "My carriage will be ready to take you to her as soon as you can pack a bag. Would you like Mrs. Annesley to go along with you? You may need the company and you would be safer if you travel together."

Mildred, who had been sitting near Mrs. Bennet to converse with her before the colonel's arrival, spoke up then. "I would be happy to go with you."

I nodded. I would not have to face this alone, but I still did not know what to do about Grace.

"You will have no need to delay your return," said Mr. Bennet. He had whispered something to Mrs. Bennet while Mr. Darcy and Mildred had been speaking and Mrs. Bennet had given a brief nod. I found out what he had asked now. "I know it is not the normal way things are done, but our family is known for flouting convention," he said with a chuckle. "It seems our house is short a few young ladies these days. Bring your sister here. She can keep company with Kitty and Lydia and perhaps be an assistant governess as she has been learning things they need to know. You will not have to rush to find another place for her. I am sure she will be just fine with us. Safety in numbers, you know."

I did break down and cry then, but they were tears of relief.


	42. Chapter 42

I suspect things were not as chaotic as they felt for the next few moments, but I was both too upset and too relieved to really know. I heard Mr. Darcy say something about having his coachman consult with the express messenger about the state of the roads and the fastest route to take. A part of me realized I did not even have to tell him about the location of the school or which inn my sister was at because the express messenger would.

Kitty and Lydia crowded around me, telling me everything would be fine. They promised to behave and told me they looked forward to meeting their new companion. As I stood to go pack, they both gave me a hug and then Miss Darcy came forward and did the same. Mildred shooed them away, then took my arm to usher me upstairs so I could pack.

Before we reached the door of the drawing room I felt a hand come to rest gently on my shoulder. The colonel was now standing next to me. "Safe travels," he said quietly. "Be cautious."

I nodded to him, not sure what to say and not wanting to break the contact between us. He held my gaze and we stood like that for what must have only been a few seconds, although it felt longer.

"Miss York and I will look after each other, Colonel," said Mildred, causing us both to startle a little. "We need to go get her packed now. You can help Mr. Darcy make arrangements with driver."

He gave my shoulder a very gentle squeeze, then let go and walked away. Mildred and I went up to my room.

"You only need clothing for two or three days," she said, "plus your knitting and maybe a book. Your travel bag should do. Once we have you packed we can make a quick stop at the dower house to get my bag and then be on our way. The school is near Reading, is not? There should be plenty of places to stay in the area. If it had been in a small out of the way place the local inns might have been overrun by the group of students and their families."

I let her talk as we worked together to quickly pack my travel bag. I also took my work basket and tucked the book I was reading into it. With that I was ready to leave.

We arrived back at the drawing room to find a much more orderly situation. Elizabeth sat with her mother, assuring her Colonel Fitzwilliam's men would watch over the house and keep the family safe. When she saw us at the drawing room door Elizabeth said, "We have decided Kitty and Lydia will ride back to the dower house in Papa's carriage when Will, Georgie and I return. They will will have their lesson with Mrs. Evans this afternoon as planned, then Papa's driver will bring them back safely."

"We know what lessons are on the schedule for tomorrow," Lydia added. "We will do our best at them. I am sure Papa will help me if I have problems with my reading or if we have questions about our history lesson."

"And if Elizabeth is willing to bring Georgiana tomorrow morning they can listen to me practice the pianoforte and coach us in our singing and our French," said Kitty, looking expectantly at her older sister.

"If Papa can send the carriage for us we will come. I know Will would prefer we not walk unless he is with us." Elizabeth looked at me. "Make sure your sister is safe and do not worry about my sisters until you return. They will be fine. I know we are all looking forward to making Grace's acquaintance, so have a safe journey and come back to us quickly."

The others echoed her good wishes. Mildred and I thanked them all before heading out the front door to where the carriage had just pulled around. Mr. Darcy was there to see us off, but I saw no sign of the colonel.

"I have given instructions to my driver," he told us. "We have also consulted with the messenger over which roads will be best to travel on. Barring any serious problems you should make Reading a little after nightfall using the route we have chosen. My driver and the footman I am sending along are charged with protecting you and delivering you safely back here with your sister. I do want you to promise me if they recommend a stop or tell you they do not believe a chosen inn is safe you accept their advice even if it will mean a delay in reaching your sister or returning. Walters here has been driving for several years and I have always found his judgment about road conditions to be sound."

We agreed to his request and he continued. "While Mrs. Annesley packs her bag the coachman and Lincoln, my footman, will do the same so you can leave quickly."

He passed a purse to Mrs. Annesley. "This is for your lodgings. Walters has funds to cover for the men and horses. There is enough there to sustain you even if something unexpected comes up." He looked at us both very seriously.

" _If_ something happens that will prevent you from returning by Monday night please send us an express as soon as you can. If you need help of _any_ kind, do the same. You are both important to us and we want you to return safely."

We thanked him for his concern and agreed to send a messenger if needed. He handed us into the carriage and set us on our way to the dower house. We arrived to find Mr. Darcy had sent Teddy ahead, probably before he arranged for the carriage, with messages for Mrs. Evans and Lincoln, the footman. Teddy came out to hold the horses so the coachman could go pack. I hoped they would not try to run away from him. He might be a brave boy, but he was still small, especially next to the horses and carriage.

Mildred went up to pack her bag. Mrs. Evans had me help her pack hampers with food for the road, one for the men to have up top with them and one for us to carry inside.

"I have bricks warming for you as well," she told me. "We have enough for you to have some at your feet and to warm the feet of Walters and Lincoln as well. We will take them out just before you leave." She handed me a couple loaves of bread to wrap in cloth and add to the basket while she filled two flasks with hot tea.

"Now do not worry, dear," she said. "Your sister will be fine. She wrote that she was with some of the other students, did she not?"

"Yes, they are all waiting for their parents to come as well."

"Then she is not alone. She may be frightened or upset, but she knew to contact you and she has a plan to carry her until you arrive. All will be well."

"Oh, I hope so," I said, still worried.

"It will be," said Mildred in a firm voice. She stood at the door, bag in hand. "We will make it so."

It suddenly struck me that, after all the time since my father's death and all the decisions and solutions I had to make for myself, I was no longer alone. Like Grace, I had people who were willing to help me. With Mildred and Mr. Darcy's men along I was part of a team working towards a common goal. How very different than if I had rushed off in the post carriage by myself with no real idea of the route to take or what I would find when I got there. I might still not know what I would find, but I did know Mr. Darcy's men were charged with keeping me safe and Mildred would help me sort out any problems.

Teddy came into the kitchen and told us the men were packed and ready to go. He offered to carry Mildred's bag for her. Mrs. Evans gestured to her to let him. He lugged the bag off while Mrs. Annesley carried the hampers and Mrs. Evans and I each took a handle of the wool carrying bag filled with bricks she pulled from the oven. Everything was quickly stowed away. We were handed into the carriage by the footman who then climbed up to join Walters. With a wave to Mrs. Evans and Teddy we were off on our journey.

I pulled out my knitting, more from habit than a desire for occupation. My hands knew what they were doing and worked away steadily while I pondered Grace's letter. What could have happened to close down the school so suddenly? I did not think it likely Lord Willoughby had anything to do with the problem. If he even remembered about Grace and found where she was, he would have done something to her directly. But what if he was involved? I wish I had been able to decipher all of her letter. I mentally chewed over everything I had been able to read.

"Sophia," said Mildred, "you need to stop worrying about it now. You will not know what has happened until we get there. If you arrive agitated and frustrated you will be less able to make good judgments and help your sister."

"I just wish I had been able to make out everything she wrote."

"You could not. When we get there we will learn what happened. It is time now to think of something else. Since our young ladies are having their lesson with Mrs. Evans by now, let us discuss something in the nature of cookery. Tell me about the pastries at the cafe you visited in London. Describe each variety in great detail."

I laughed as she had intended. Her idea did work. By the time I had described each and every one of the tiny pastries our parties had on the two visits to the cafe I had calmed considerably. I was also hungry and Mildred admitted to the same. We both chuckled when we opened the hamper and found a tin filled with biscuits sitting atop the other items. We carefully poured tea from the flask into the tin cups she had provided and enjoyed the still somewhat warm drink with our biscuits.

The driver had us traveling at a steady pace that carried us along fairly quickly without tiring the horses too much. He did stop about halfway along the journey to give the horses a short rest. While Walters tended the horses, Lincoln accompanied us into the inn, although he did remain in the hallway when we chose to visit the ladies retiring room. He clearly took his charge to keep us safe seriously and I felt better for having him along.

We returned to the carriage after refreshing ourselves. Lincoln told us the common room was a bit too rowdy for his liking and asked if we minded staying out in the carriage instead of inside the warm inn. Knowing he meant to protect us we agreed. He did exchange our bricks for freshly heated ones, which made sitting in the carriage while we waited a little more comfortable. We could hear some of the other patrons of the inn even from where we sat. I was once again glad of having a private coach to travel in. The post coach would have been crowded, I think, and I would have had no escape from the common room and no protection.

"You are not indulging your worries again, are you Sophia?" Mildred asked.

"No. I was feeling thankful that I have your company, that we are in Mr. Darcy's carriage instead of a post coach and that we have Lincoln and Walters to protect us. Hearing the noise from the inn made me realize Lincoln was correct in describing the crowd as rowdy."

"My husband and I were caught in a crowd like that once when we were traveling. No one tried to harm us, but I did not care for the noise and some of the men made me feel uncomfortable. I would not wish to face that kind of crowd as a woman traveling alone, nor even two of us traveling alone. We are safest where we are. I am thankful as well."

It was not too long before Walters decided the horses were ready to go on. We set off again, following a main road that was not in too bad condition. We kept to the same steady pace as before. Mildred and I talked about whatever came to mind. I told her about my discussion with the colonel at the wedding breakfast and how Sir William had interrupted us just as the colonel seemed about to say something important. We laughed together over Sir William chatting away with Lieutenant Andrews while poor Charlotte wanted some privacy to hint for a proposal and about the way she finally did a few days later.

"Mr. Darcy thinks highly of you," she told me a little later. "You may no longer have the status or money you once did, but I think he is aware of the attraction between you and his cousin and he approves. The colonel is a very stubborn man and will not accept any financial assistance from Mr. Darcy, but if there is any other way my employer can promote a match between you I think he will do so."

"I am glad to hear it, although it does make me uncomfortable to know so many people are aware of my feelings for the colonel."

"It is written all over both of your faces when you are in company, Sophia. You could not hide it if you wished to. Neither can he. The only question is when he will overcome the pride that makes him want to be able to give you more than he currently has. He knows the life of an officer is uncertain. That was underscored by Colonel Forster's death. Mrs. Forster did receive enough funds from her husband's estate to help her and the unborn child along, but the colonel knows that could easily not have been the case. I think he fears to marry where he cannot ensure his wife a good future if something should happen to him."

"I understand that. It shows his good character that he would think beyond the current day and look to what might happen in the future. For his sake I would still be willing to chance being left with nothing if it meant I had time as his wife. I know I could find another position or some way to survive should I be so unfortunate as to lose him. As it is now, he is not mine to lose."

"But you want him to be. I know. I have been there, remember. Losing my husband was difficult. He was a good man and I loved him. As you say, though, we find ways to carry on. I would not exchange the time I had with him for wealth and a life of ease. I hope you will have your chance for time together as well."

We turned the discussion to Kitty and Lydia's lessons and talked over ways to keep them engaged in learning. Mildred liked the idea of having them sing in French as a way to help them learn. We considered ways to make history more interesting to them. I thought if we could turn some of what we were learning into a game or competition it would hold their interest more.

"They need some practice writing letters, do they not?" Mildred asked.

"Yes, we do need to start working on that."

"Perhaps you could assign them to read about a set of historical figures and have them write letters to each other about their lives while pretending to be those people. They would have to read and research their assigned figures in order to write the letters."

"That could work. If Miss Darcy and Grace joined in we could have quite the cast of characters."

"I think you and I should join in as well. We could provide examples and give them more people to write to and about."

"I like that idea. I think our charges will enjoy it as well."

We made some plans for how to implement our idea and draw the young ladies into it. Before we knew it the carriage rolled to a stop in front of an inn called the Green Bear just outside of Reading. If all was well, we would find Grace inside.


	43. Chapter 43

After the carriage came to a complete stop Lincoln came to the door. He opened it, but did not let down the step.

"Mr. Darcy told me to check the place out carefully before allowing you ladies to leave the carriage," he told us apologetically. "He and Colonel Fitzwilliam are afraid this might be some kind of trap or ruse by Lord Willoughby. Walters is going to drive a little further down the road, giving me enough time to check things out and then return for my report. We do not want to just stop the carriage here in case it _is_ a trap of some kind. You would be too easy a target."

"Thank you, Lincoln," Mildred said. "Please be careful."

He nodded and closed the door and the carriage rolled away. I had not thought of the possibility of Lord Willoughby laying a trap for me using a letter from my sister. The only way he could do that was if he had control of her somehow and forced her to write the letter, deliberately blurring portions of it. My worries were back and brought friends with them.

"Have faith, Sophia. All will be well." Mildred probably realized immediately where my thoughts were traveling.

"I will try. Had you considered Lord Willoughby might be using my sister to set a trap for me?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. It seems very unusual for a boarding school to shut down so suddenly leaving all the students adrift like this. I know the school is for girls from the lower circles, daughters of lesser tradesmen and less affluent gentlemen, but still it seems odd the owners would take a chance on insulting so many people. How many students did they have?"

"About two dozen. They have a very good reputation for treating their students well and were not as expensive as many similar establishments. Mr. Thompson checked Mrs. Marshall's references and the reputation of the school for me. Spots at the school were much in demand, but he worked with one of his colleagues to convince them to make a place for Grace."

"Has your sister mentioned any problems or changes at the school in her letters?"

"Not recently. Of course we do not write more than twice a month and the last few letters have been about the holidays and my new situation with the Bennets. She did mention some problems with a nephew of the headmistress last autumn. He was apparently demanding money or property from his aunt. The girls were all to avoid speaking with him or give him any notice if he came around. He was in the vicinity for a week or so and then left."

"Perhaps he had something to do with this sudden closure."

I nodded, although I was not sure she could see me in the gloom inside the carriage. It being only February, the days were still fairly short. As Mr. Darcy had predicted we had arrived a little while after nightfall. Mildred and I lapsed into silence as Walters drove further down the road. Out the window I could make out buildings, many of them with lights showing from inside their windows, casting a glow that almost reached the road. Throughout the journey we had been part of a flow of traffic. That had thinned somewhat, but we were still not the only ones on the road. It felt comforting to know there were other people around us.

Walters drove for a while, giving Lincoln plenty of time to make inquiries. He slowed down a bit each time we passed an inn. I think he was gauging their quality and how full they appeared. I believe it was more than a full half hour before he turned to go back to the Green Bear.

Lincoln came out to meet us when we pulled into the yard. We saw two carriages being loaded with trunks while parties with young girls in them prepared to leave. That sight made me feel less worried and my worries lessened further when Lincoln opened the door to speak with us.

"The situation at the school is legitimate," he began. "Or as legitimate as three deaths can be. At any rate, there is no sign that Lord Willoughby is involved."

"Is my sister safe?"

"As far as I can tell. I verified she is here, in the company of several other girls, but I did not attempt to speak with her since she does not know me. I also learned the inn is full. We will need to collect her and move on to another location."

Walters, who had been listening from his seat, spoke up. "I marked three or four good places while we were driving. If you three collect the young miss and her trunks we can find a spot for the night where you can talk this out in safety."

"Good idea," I said. Lincoln lowered the step and helped us out. Then he escorted us to speak with the innkeeper. Lincoln told the man we were here to collect the young lady he had asked about earlier and that I was her sister and guardian.

"I told all them girls from the school to stay in their rooms while they waited for their folks. I can't have any of them coming to harm wandering my halls or in my common room," the innkeeper said. "Hold on just a moment and I will have one my boys take you to her."

We thanked him and waited where he indicated. A little while later a young man who bore a strong resemblance to the innkeeper approached and told us he would take us to the room my sister was in.

We followed him upstairs and down a hall to one of the doors. The young man knocked and it was opened a crack by a girl of thirteen or fourteen years.

"What do you want?" she asked a little fearfully.

I stepped forward. "I am looking for Grace York. Is she here with you?"

Before the girl could answer I heard a squeal of joy. "Sophia! You came!"

The door was pulled open as the first girl stepped aside. My sister flew into my arms, hugging me fiercely and crying. "Oh, Sophia! I am so glad you are here!"

"I am glad you sent for me, Grace. My friends and I have come to take you back to Longbourn with us. There are no more available rooms at this inn, so we need to go find another in and I want you to come with us. Are all your things here?"

"Yes, Sophia, but already paid for my share of the room."

"That is not a problem. You have been safe here for the day and that is well worth the fee." I looked and saw four other girls in the room. "I am sure your friends will appreciate a little more space." The other girls smiled at that.

"Do you all have people coming for you?" I asked the others. When they nodded in response I noticed two of the girls looked worried.

"How long is it likely to be before they arrive?" Two said they expected someone by the next day. The other two, sisters I learned, said it might be two or three days before their father could arrive.

"Do you have enough money to stay here for three more nights?" I asked, guessing the reason for their unease.

The older sister answered, "We can manage two more nights for sure, but I do not think we have enough for a third night or for food while we wait. We all shared some bread and stew this evening. I am afraid to buy more food and not be able to have a room. The innkeeper does not want any of us in the common room and we have no other place to go."

I told Grace to show Lincoln which were her trunks. While she did that I took out enough money to carry them for two additional nights and to give them four days of simple meals.

"Guard the funds carefully," I told them. "You do not want to be stranded and without shelter. The innkeeper wants you to remain in your room while you are here for your own protection. Too many dangers can befall a young woman on her own. After your father takes you home he can repay me by sending the funds to Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire." The older girl wrote down my directions and they both thanked me.

By this time Lincoln had pulled Grace's two trunks out into the hall. He and the innkeeper's boy started tugging them down the hall towards the stairs. Grace hugged all four girls and promised to write to them. They offered the same promise in return. After I wished them well Grace and I went to join Mildred in the hall. I introduced them and we followed the men with her trunks, now at the top of the stairs. They worked together to carry the trunks down one at a time. The boy left us for a few minutes before returning with two other young men. With Lincoln helping, they picked up both trunks and carried them out to the carriage. It was the work of only a few minutes to load them and strap them securely in place. We thanked the young men, handing them a few coins to show our gratitude, and then Lincoln handed us in before climbing back up to his place next to Walters. We rolled away in search of an inn with room for us.

I suggested Grace wait to tell us more of what had happened until we were settled in our room at whichever inn we stopped at. I asked if she was still hungry as I did not know how much stew they had been able to order and share. She admitted she was still somewhat hungry. Mildred and I had not finished all the food in our hamper, so we offered some of the bread, cheese and cold meats. Grace enjoyed the meal and had finished up a few biscuits to top it off by the time we pulled up at Walters' first choice for an inn. Lincoln went in to see if there was room for us and get a feel for the quality of the establishment. He returned soon to inform us he had engaged a suite consisting of two bedrooms opening off a small sitting room.

We quickly took possession of the rooms and our luggage was brought up. I asked Lincoln to update Walters on the situation at the school once the horses were settled. Mildred and I would find out what Grace knew and I could get more details in the morning if needed.

We decided Grace and I would share one bedroom while Mildred took the other. It felt good to wash the dust of the road off with the warm water the servants had brought up. At Mildred's request a maid also brought us a pot of tea. The three of us sat in the sitting room and enjoyed the hot tea while Grace told us what had happened.

"I think I told you that Mrs. Marshall's nephew was causing problems a few months ago?" I nodded and she went on.

"Mrs. Marshall sent him away and told him not to come back after he tried to steal some of her household funds. I heard rumors that he was running with a fast crowd, but I did not pay much attention since it really had nothing to do with me." I smiled at her in approval and Mildred nodded.

"Yesterday he came back again. I did not know it at the time. I heard later that he demanded his aunt give him a great deal of money and then threatened her when she refused. She insisted he leave and he did. At dinner she told us all that her nephew was not to be allowed into the house, nor were any of us to speak with him. She also sent for Mr. Carpenter, the man who handles the business accounts for the school. He arrived shortly after dinner. I suppose she had wanted him to advise her on how to protect herself and the school from her nephew." Grace sniffled a bit, took out her handkerchief and blew her nose before continuing.

"While Mr. Carpenter was visiting with Mrs. Marshall her nephew came back with a companion. They snuck into the house and tried to rob Mrs. Marshall at gunpoint. There was a struggle and the nephew killed her. Mr. Carpenter fought with the other man and in the process the man's gun fired killing the nephew. Mr. Carpenter suffered an apoplexy during his struggle with the other man. We girls were just retiring for the night when we heard the shots causing everyone to panic. A few of the servants ran to Mrs. Marshall's study and found the bodies. The second attacker ran off when they came in. Mr. Carpenter was still alive then, but he succumbed to the apoplexy before the doctor who was summoned arrived. Early in the morning two constables arrived as well. They were the ones who decided that the school was no longer safe. Without a headmistress there was no one to look after us properly so they told us all to pack our trunks immediately and leave. It did not matter to them that we might not have money or a way to get home. They gave us an hour to pack our things before they planned to lock everything up, for further investigation they said."

Mildred and I were shocked by that, but Grace continued, "We all helped each other pack our trunks and drag them outside. The gardener got out the cart and the servants helped us load our trunks on it along with theirs. The constables said all the servants had to leave too. It was very difficult for everyone. The gardener ferried the trunks in several loads to the Green Bear, which is the closest inn. We girls all walked there together. When we arrived, the innkeeper set us up with rooms and helped us engage express messengers to carry letters to our families. I know my letter was a mess, Sophia. I just felt so scared and shaky and couldn't help crying as I wrote."

She was sobbing by this time. I pulled her close to me and stroked her hair, rocking her gently.

"You did just right, Grace. I am glad you were able to get word to me quickly."

"Yes, Miss Grace," said Mildred, gently patting Grace on the back. "An express was exactly what was needed and you were right to keep close to the other girls for protection."

Grace sniffled and hiccuped, then blew her nose again. I offered her my handkerchief to wipe her eyes. She pulled away from me a bit and used it.

"Thank you for lending Abby and Sally enough money to remain at the inn until their father comes," she said shakily. "I was afraid for them. The innkeeper let us pay for the room as a group so we shared the cost, but once Mary and Christine leave it would just be the two of them and that would be more expensive."

"I could not leave them without help," I said. "So many people have helped me get to you. Even if they do not pay me back it makes me feel better to know they should be safe."

"Where will I be going now?" she asked quietly.

"You are coming back to Longbourn with us. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have graciously agreed to allow you to stay for time and be in company with Kitty and Lydia. I know you will behave well and do your best to help set an example of good behavior for my charges."

Grace nodded and smiled a little tearfully. "I get to live with you?"

"Yes, dear sister. For a time, at least, we can be together."

There was not much else to say. It had been a long and trying day for all of us, so we soon headed off to bed. I hoped Walters, Lincoln and the horses would get a good rest that night. In the morning we would be heading back to Longbourn.


	44. Chapter 44

I woke the next morning pleased to realize my sister was by me and safe. Despite the regular letters and my occasional short visits I felt I barely knew this young woman she had become. I love her, that was a given, but we had missed so much time together. The big moments, the significant details, had come across in our letters. The little things, though, were just as important in forming our characters and those details were missing.

I got up and dressed quietly, not wanting to disturb her before I had to. I had slept late enough myself that early morning light was filtering into the room from the small window. As I finished arranging my hair I took a good look at her, thinking of the resemblances and differences between us. Like me, her hair was dark, with a bit of wavy curl to it. I did not spend much time looking in a mirror, but had seen myself often enough that I could tell we shared the green eyes with hazel flecks and something about the expression of our faces. Where I had been described as having a pleasant face, I thought my sister was decidedly pretty. She had a liveliness of facial expression that was similar to Lydia, although I thought her character might be more retiring, like Kitty. It was difficult to tell now, under such stress and the sudden meeting.

Her height had now equaled mine, although at fourteen she was young enough she might still become taller. I considered myself of average height for a woman. My sister and I shared the same slender build, although she might fill out more as she aged as well. Grace was in that between time when the body seems to shift rapidly and it felt like you might wake any morning to find your dresses too short or your bodice too tight. I remembered my frustration when I could no longer wear my favorite dress after my mother declared there was no way to alter it further to fit me. I would need to ask if Grace had encountered similar frustrations.

I left her sleeping and went into the sitting room. Mildred already sat there, dressed for the day. The relief after all my worry had made me sleep longer than usual but had not affected her as much.

"Good morning, Sophia. Did you sleep well?"

"Both well and long, I think. Was your room comfortable?"

"I found it so. I slept well, but woke at my usual time. I have been sitting here thinking that we should check with Lincoln before we leave to see if he has heard anything different from what Grace was able to tell us. I would hate to find out later that we had not considered something important."

"I agree. Shall we have some breakfast sent up first? After we eat we can ask him to come up and speak with us."

Mildred agreed to speaking with him after the meal. She suggested I wake Grace so she could ready herself for the day of travel ahead while breakfast was being prepared and brought up. I returned to the bedroom while Mildred rang for a servant.

The three of us ate a good breakfast at the small table in the sitting room. Walters and Lincoln had chosen our inn well. The rooms had proven clean and comfortable, the service was prompt, and the food was both tasty and plentiful.

During the meal we agreed Mildred would call Grace by her first name as we did Kitty and Lydia, but like them, Grace would refer to my friend as Mrs. Annesley. Mildred pointed out that I continued to call her charge Miss Darcy despite having been given permission to use her first name. I did not remember that she had, but we could confirm later.

Grace felt shy about meeting the three young women in our combined charge. Mildred and I both assured her they were cheerful, friendly girls who looked forward to having her company.

"You survived going to a school with more than twenty girls of various temperaments and backgrounds. It should be much easier to meet just three young women who are already disposed to like you."

"It is just that I am not sure what to expect or how I fit in. We are no longer what we were. Mother told me you were fortunate to find a good place in service and I would need to do the same. We may be the daughters of a viscount, but we are no longer gentlewomen."

"We are _always_ gentlewomen, Grace," I said firmly and clearly. "We may be orphans. We may be poor and no longer have the status and connections we once did. We may have to work for our keep. All of this is true. Despite that, we were born gentlewomen and nothing can take that away from us or make us behave as less than we are without our consent and participation. I know others may think poorly of us. They may say what they will, but we carry our own truth in our speech and behavior. Do you understand?"

"Are you upset with me, Sophia?"

"No, dear one. I speak emphatically about this because it is important to me. I want to be certain you understand that no words or actions by others can make you less than you truly are."

"Your sister is right, Grace," Mildred chimed in. "What other people say often has less to do with who we are and more to do with how they feel about _themselves._ More to the point at this moment, you will receive no censure or ridicule from the Bennets or the Darcys. They are kind and caring people."

"I will try to remember that and not worry so much."

"Good," I said. "I want you to be happy and worrying will not make you so. I know by how worried I was for you yesterday. I am thankful to Mildred for reminding me to remain calm and hope for the best." I smiled at my traveling companion and she nodded acknowledgment of my gratitude.

A knock at the door halted further conversation. I opened it to find Lincoln standing in the hall outside.

"You asked to see me, Miss?"

"Yes, Lincoln. Please come in. Mrs. Annesley and I wanted to check and see if you had information about the happenings at the school beyond what my sister knew or if you had heard anything which might prevent us from leaving this morning."

He entered the room, looking uncomfortable when we asked him to join us at the table. He did sit after a little persuasion. He was a tall young man and even if we all stood we would have to look up at him. Having him sit was more comfortable for all of us.

"My sister told us the nephew of the headmistress, along with an unknown companion, attacked her and Mr. Carpenter, her man of business, in the late evening. During the attack Mrs. Marshall and her nephew were killed and Mr. Carpenter suffered an attack of apoplexy from which he did not recover. The unknown man got away from the scene. Two constables arrived to investigate and forced all the students and staff to leave the house. Does that agree with what you heard?"

"Yes, Miss, only there was a little more to it than that. I do not think it will affect our travel plans. I have heard below stairs that many people were unhappy with all the students and servants being forced out like that without notice. Some say the two men who claimed to be constables were actually not even known around here and may have been working with the unknown attacker to strip the house of its valuables after it was emptied. The headmistress was known to be wealthy and to keep a good supply of funds and other valuables in the house."

"They emptied the school so they could rob it?" Grace asked in amazement.

"It would seem so, Miss, if what I have heard is true. This morning things were buzzing in the servant area. I heard tell the local magistrate went there yesterday evening to talk to the constables and found the place ransacked and the bodies still lying there untended."

Grace began to cry. I automatically reached to comfort her, but was too shocked to say anything. By Mildred's expression she felt the same. Lincoln suddenly realized the impact of what he had said.

"I am so sorry, Miss," he almost stammered to Grace. "I did not think about what I was saying. I had no intent to upset you. The words just came out as I was telling what I heard. Please do not cry."

I took a deep breath and found my tongue again. "It is all right, Lincoln. We did need to know. It is just a shock to her, to us all. She will calm down in a moment." I gently patted Grace's back and she wiped her eyes.

"Yes, Lincoln," she said, still a little weepy, "I will be fine. I just suddenly had an image of Mrs. Marshall lying there with no one to care for her and it upset me."

"Well, Miss, I did hear the magistrate sent for folks to come tend to your Mrs. Marshall and the gentleman. I expect their friends will see to them properly now that the fake constables are not there to cause problems."

"Thank you. It does help to know that."

Mildred spoke up. "As you said, this does not really affect our plans. Once we get the luggage reloaded and Walters is ready we can leave."

"Very good, Madam. I will go let him know. We will get help from a couple of the serving men here to bring down the trunks."

He left to take care of our preparations. We made sure Grace's trunks were closed and locked and that Mildred and I had everything packed away in our bags. Mildred asked for the hamper to be refilled with more bread and cheese or similar traveling fare as well as to have bricks made ready for us. Less than an hour later we were back on the road.

We tried not to discuss the situation at the school, although it bothered us all. Since Grace had not been targeted I felt it unlikely Lord Willoughby had anything to do with the murder or robbery. I suspected he would have no qualms about taking such actions, but it did not seem his style. There were plenty of men in England willing to kill for a bit of cash. That it happened at Grace's school was probably coincidence.

We did talk about the Bennet household. Mildred and I told Grace about each member of the family and about the Darcy, Bingley and Burrows families. We described the lessons Kitty and Lydia were working on. When I asked her about the idea of writing letters in the character of historical figures she agreed it sounded like a fun way to learn and she would happily participate. She described her typical day at the school, telling us about the subjects they learned and special activities they had done.

With the good company and without my worries, the ride seemed to go much more quickly on the return trip. The distance was the same and I am sure we traveled at about the same speed. It still took me by surprise to recognize the village of Meryton as we passed through it. My heart gave a jump at the sight of a man in a militia uniform walking near the camp. When I realized it was not the colonel I turned away with a slight sigh. Mildred lifted an eyebrow and I responded with a slight shake of my head. I did not want to talk about it just then.

While I was glad that we had prepared for trouble and used all reasonable caution, I was even happier that we arrived back at Longbourn without incident. Here we were safe. Here both Grace and I could be happy.

Kitty and Lydia tumbled through the front door to greet us almost before the carriage came to a full stop. After Lincoln let down the step and helped us out the two young ladies welcomed Grace as if she were _their_ long lost sister. Elizabeth and Miss Darcy came out and greeted us more sedately. Upon being asked for instructions Elizabeth told Walters to take the carriage to the stable after the trunks were unloaded and taken up. The Darcys would use it to return to the dower house later. She told Lincoln that her husband was in Mr. Bennet's study and would like a report. She then thanked both men for taking such good care of us and we echoed her thanks.

It was too cold for us all to stand outside. Kitty and Lydia took Grace by the arms and almost dragged her inside, followed by an amused Miss Darcy.

"My sisters will take her to the back parlor where they can chat and giggle and get to know one another," said Elizabeth with a smile. "Will you join us in the drawing room unless you need to refresh yourselves first?"

Mildred and I agreed we were fine and headed into the drawing room after divesting ourselves of the warm outer wear that had protected us from the February chill on the ride home. We found Mrs. Bennet just waking up from a doze as we entered the drawing room.

"Oh, you are back!" she said when she recognized us. "Is your sister well?"

"Yes, Mrs. Bennet. She is currently with Kitty, Lydia and Miss Darcy in the back parlor."

"Well do sit down and tell us all about your trip," she said stifling a yawn. "You did not run into any trouble did you?"

"There was trouble," I said as I sat with the other ladies, "but it did not affect us directly. There was no sign of Lord Willoughby."

"Thank goodness for that!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "But why was the school closed?"

I was not quite sure how much to say. I did not want to upset her. Then I remembered Mrs. Bennet's love of gossip. She would enjoy every detail, I suspected.

"The school was closed because of an unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of the headmistress." Mrs. Bennet leaned forward with a hungry sort of look. A death was always good gossip.

I told the story of the attack, the orders of the fake constables and finally how the house had been ransacked, although I did not mention them leaving the bodies unattended. Mrs. Bennet hung on every word, sometimes exclaiming her surprise or asking for clarification. She could be a very appreciative audience. Mildred occasionally added a bit more detail when needed. Finally Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet were fully apprised of the situation.

"Imagine that! Murder and robbery and all those poor girls thrust out on their own!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed.

"I am glad Grace was not hurt and that she and the other girls were able to find shelter at the inn," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, the innkeeper sounded a bit harsh to the girls, but he was trying to make sure they were protected. He also charged them a little less for the rooms and let them share the costs between them. I do not think he would actually have turned any of them away. I am most grateful he helped them engage express messengers to contact their families."

"And now you are back safe and sound," Mrs. Bennet added. "The colonel sent us our guards yesterday. They are patrolling the grounds. I do not think I want to go anywhere except to church services for a time."

"That would be best, Mama," Elizabeth told her. She then informed us that all three young ladies had followed their lesson plan as promised.

"They brought some lovely tea cakes back from the dower house yesterday. We will have them this afternoon. It is nice to have the treats, but do you think they are done with cooking lessons now?" Mrs. Bennet asked. Elizabeth nodded to me and I took the hint.

"Yes, Mrs. Bennet. I think they have learned what they needed to know. I do look forward to those tea cakes."

Mrs. Bennet nodded happily and then almost seemed to doze off again. She started a bit and looked around. "Well, we could have tea a little early," she said. "I want to meet your sister, too. Lizzy, have Mrs. Hill send in the tea tray and we can call the girls in to share it with us."

Elizabeth did as she was asked and I went to inform the young ladies it was tea time. I really was looking forward to those cakes.


	45. Chapter 45

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet joined us for tea. The gentlemen learned the full story from Lincoln when he had met with them in the study. I expect they received information he had not thought appropriate to tell us. As I thanked Mr. Darcy for the loan of the carriage and the company of his servants, I told him how well they had chosen a place for us and all the care they had taken to ensure our safety. He assured me he was glad to help. He and Mr. Bennet both greeted Grace kindly and made her feel welcome.

I was pleased I did not have to prompt my sister by so much as a look before she also thanked Mr. Darcy for helping me get to her quickly and the Bennets for allowing her to stay at Longbourn with me.

"Sophia and I have been apart for so long. I appreciate the opportunity to be near her for a time."

"We are glad to have you here," said Mr. Bennet. "I have hopes you will be a good example to these two." He smiled affectionately at his two youngest daughters.

"You know we are much improved, Papa," Lydia said pertly.

"I will agree you are no longer the silliest girls in all England. You are probably not even the silliest in Meryton. All the same, it never hurts to have a good example," he chuckled.

Lydia laughed at him even as Grace uncertainly said, "I will try my best, sir."

"Do not let our teasing frighten you, child," Mr. Bennet said kindly. "Our whole family is working on making improvements, but we still joke about how we used to behave."

Grace just nodded. I would explain more to her later.

While we had our tea and cakes Elizabeth talked with Grace about her time at school and before that when she lived in the village with our mother. My little sister was still uncertain of herself in this company, but she answered clearly and thoughtfully. By the time the Darcys left she was looking more confident.

After tea I went up to refresh myself and put my travel things away. Kitty and Lydia showed Grace to the room next to mine. I could hear the sound of their chatter as they helped my sister unpack her trunks and organize the space.

By the time we retired that evening it somehow felt as if Grace had always been a part of life at Longbourn. Kitty and Lydia simply treated her like another sister. They had been delighted when a conversation after dinner revealed she had learned chess from our father but had not played since his death. Grace would be a good challenge for them because she knew more than they did yet was enough out of practice they could probably win against her sometimes. She agreed to play with them, but said it would only be fair if Mr. Bennet and I would also play against _her_ to help sharpen her skills. He and I agreed and the bargain was struck.

0o0o0o0

I finally had a chance to speak with the colonel before services the next morning, although nothing approaching privacy was possible. We arrived a little early as did he and his men. At the colonel's request I introduced Grace.

"Welcome to Meryton, Miss Grace. I hope you will enjoying staying at Longbourn with your sister and the Bennet family."

"I am certain I will. Everyone has been so very kind to me. I am especially happy to be with Sophia."

"Have you recovered from your fright over the happenings at your school? My cousin, Mr. Darcy, told me about the events that caused you to leave."

"Yes. I am sorry about what happened to Mrs. Marshall and I am still worried about a few of my friends whose parents could not get to them right away. I am not frightened anymore, though. Sophia and Mrs. Annesley helped me feel better."

Lydia caught Grace's attention and the colonel took the opportunity to speak with me for a moment.

"I am glad you have returned safely to us," he told me with a smile.

"We used caution and were fortunate. Mr. Darcy's men made the journey much easier for us and did everything they could to protect us."

"I wanted to travel with you or at least send a few of _my_ men, but Will convinced me I could not. Stationing men to guard Longbourn can be managed as a training exercise..." he trailed off.

"While to go with us or send your men would be taking personal advantage." I finished for him.

"I am glad you understand. Will had to work hard to convince me. I would have been very upset if you or your sister had come to harm."

"I thank you for the thought," I told him with a smile. "We should go in now. Services will be starting soon."

He offered his arm and escorted me in, taking me to where Grace was just settling next to Kitty. I felt a little bereft when he bowed and moved back to join his men. Somehow we needed to have a long and private conversation. I just could not figure out how to arrange it without providing a very poor example of proper behavior for my charges.

As we left the church he seemed inclined to join us again, but was blocked by the Lucas family as Sir William, Lady Lucas and Miss Maria crowded around to meet Grace. Charlotte was there as well, but had hung back to speak with Lieutenant Andrews. Sir William cheerfully welcomed Grace as did Lady Lucas after Mrs. Bennet promised to tell her the whole story of the goings on at her school in Reading. Miss Maria greeted her shyly, but Kitty and Lydia assured them both they would be good friends and would not let them be standoffish. Grace and Miss Maria gave each other a smile at that.

I was a little surprised the Lucas family did not seem to bat an eye at the idea of the sister of the governess coming to live with the Bennet family. Such a thing would have been greatly frowned upon in town. Here it seemed they might gossip, but they did not censure. I much preferred Meryton's ways.

Just before we were about to board the carriage, the colonel managed to get past the various groups of people in the way to join us.

"Will you be joining us today for luncheon, Colonel," Mrs. Bennet asked eagerly.

"Alas, not. I fear I am needed back in camp once again. I would like to visit later in the week if you have no objections." He spoke to Mrs. Bennet, but he looked at me. I smiled and nodded slightly.

"Oh, Colonel," Mrs. Bennet said, "You are part of the family and welcome at any time. There is always room in our house or at our table for you."

He bowed. "Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality and am glad to consider you my family." With another slight nod and a smile in my direction he turned to leave.

I got in the carriage with the others and we returned to Longbourn. As we rode I thought about the colonel's request. I truly hoped my impression was correct and he wished to speak with _me_. It would certainly save me the need to beg for a chance to speak with him.

0o0o0o0

When the Darcys arrived at Longbourn Miss Darcy came up to me followed by Mildred.

"Mrs. Annesley told me you did not remember if I gave you permission to use my name. I was afraid I had offended you somehow when you called my sisters by name but addressed me more formally. Would you please call me either Georgiana or Georgie, Miss York?"

"Thank you, Georgiana. I had not wanted to be too forward with you and, as you heard, I did not remember being given permission to do anything else. I never intended that you should feel left out."

"Well, we are settled now. I want you to know I am very happy Grace is here as well. I think she, Kitty, Lydia and I will all have fun together."

"I am glad you think so. They seem to be wanting your attention now. Thank you for speaking up about my use of your name." She smiled and headed off to join the other three young ladies in their corner of the drawing room.

"So, that is settled," said Mildred.

"Thank you for speaking up as well," I said with a smile. "It would feel rather awkward to call three of them by name and yet address her as Miss Darcy. Which reminds me, I must ask if Kitty has quite realized that _she_ is now officially Miss Bennet since Jane's marriage leaves her as the oldest unmarried daughter. Most people address her as Kitty or Miss Kitty. I am not sure anyone has called her Miss Bennet yet."

"I doubt it will come up unless they are in town. Around here informality seems more the rule."

"I have been both delighted and amazed by how easily Grace's presence here has been accepted. Lady Lucas did not appear to think it anything out of the ordinary."

"The Bennets accept her and that seems to be good enough. Mrs. Evans asked when she would get to meet Grace. She was pleased your sister is here and glad our journey was successful and safe."

"Mrs. Evans is such a sweet woman. Did Elizabeth tell you anything about Friday's cooking lesson?"

"She said the girls helped make the tea cakes we had yesterday. Mrs. Evans taught them about boiling food and frying it and gave a few more general hints about how to run a kitchen. Then she announced that they had learned enough to appreciate what a cook does and did not need further regular lessons. She did say they could come on occasion to bake some biscuits or cakes, but they needed your permission and it should not be too often. They accepted her decision."

"I am glad that little experiment went well."

"And that the colonel received and enjoyed your biscuits?" she teased.

I sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only to everyone who cares about you. Perhaps we can all work together to give you a chance to speak with him minus interruptions from Sir William or anyone else." She only just refrained from laughing. I could tell by her expression.

I sighed again. "I would appreciate that." Then I smiled and winked at her. I may not have liked that everyone seemed to know my feelings for the colonel, but I would accept their help in finding some time with him.

After luncheon we opened the doors to the music room and both Georgiana and Grace performed for the company using some of the sheet music Mary had left behind. Grace proved a competent player, although she did not have the innate feel for the music that Georgiana displayed. Or perhaps she was a little nervous in the new company. Either way, we enjoyed the music.

Jane and Mr. Bingley proved very welcoming to Grace as well. Mr. Darcy had explained the situation at the school to them. It shocked Jane even with most of the details about the murders left out. She always hoped for the best from people and it disturbed her to think of all the girls being sent away just so someone could rob the house. I was still amazed at the audacity of the two men in claiming to be constables and getting away with it. I suppose the shock of the deaths caused the servants not to question the men very closely.

Murderous gossip aside, I think we all had a pleasant Sunday afternoon. I was glad the Darcys and Bingleys chose to spend some time each week with the Bennet family while they all lived so close. It would give them good memories when the families were separated by the distance to Pemberley or beyond. I know Mary and Dr. Burrows were missed. At least with London so close they would be able to visit a few times each year and they did have the Gardiners nearby to give them a taste of family.

0o0o0o0

We settled back into our routine of lessons starting on Monday. At first none of us were quite certain how Grace would fit into the routine. She solved the question by setting up her own schedule. When Kitty and Lydia were with their mother and father she would study on her own, generally subjects more advanced then my charges worked on. When we all worked together she joined in, even when her knowledge of a subject was greater. She had her own time to practice pianoforte that did not conflict with Kitty. She joined the other two during singing practice and they made a creditable trio.

As the week progressed I kept hoping the colonel would arrive. Friday arrived with no sign of him yet. I began to fear he had been detained by business with the militia and I would not see him until Sunday. On Friday afternoon, Kitty and Lydia suggested we all walk to the dower house to visit with Elizabeth and Georgiana. The day was beautiful and the weather had been warming. Four of us together would be safe for a short walk on Longbourn's grounds, especially since the colonel's men had been patrolling. We were just out of sight of the house when Kitty remembered a piece of music she had promised to loan to Georgiana. I let her go back with Lydia since we were so close to the house. Grace and I planned to walk on the path, which followed the line of hedges, to the top of the next rise and would wait for them there. I could show her a little of the area from that rise.

We slowly ambled along the path down into the dip between the two small hills. As we reached the lowest point we were surprised by a man who had been hidden by a turning of the hedge we had just passed. Hearing the sound of a footstep I turned around to find Lord Willoughby facing me from behind the barrel of a cocked pistol.

Grace gasped in fright, but I could not comfort her. I kept my attention trained on Lord Willoughby.

"What do you want here?" I asked him as calmly as I could.

"Money," he said simply.

"You know very well I have none, or not enough to make any kind of difference to your needs."

"I do not expect the money from you." he sneered. "I have done my research. Mr. Darcy values family and here we have one of his new sisters with her governess, who he also seems to value. You will come with me and we will see how much he is willing to pay to get you both back unharmed."

I could tell Grace was going to protest and tell him she was not a Bennet. I grabbed for her hand and squeezed it tightly in warning. If I could keep him occupied until Kitty and Lydia came back they would run for help. I kept an eye on the ridge we had just come over as I talked to him.

"How did you evade the men guarding the house?"

"I have watched them patrol. They are fairly predictable. Right now one is on the other side of the house while the other is near the stables. We will be long gone from here before they come this way."

"You know even if Mr. Darcy pays a ransom for us you will never get away. He will see to that."

"I _will_ make him pay and I _will_ get away. Everything is ready. I just wanted to make things as uncomfortable for him as he has for me. Blast him!"

I spotted someone topping the rise. I hoped they would have the sense not to draw attention to themselves.

"How do you hope to control both of us? You are alone and there is one gun and two of us." I asked, still trying to distract him.

"You are the noble type. You would not let this girl be hurt. Besides, I really only need one hostage. If either of you causes trouble I will shoot you first. You are worth far less to me than Darcy's sister-in-law."

While he spoke I saw the person on the ridge was young Teddy. He was carrying a ball and when he saw the situation it looked like he would throw it at Lord Willoughby as a distraction. I tried to catch his eye and shook my head slightly. Grace saw him too and tried to distract Lord Willoughby so I could motion to Teddy.

"You do not plan on letting either of us go even if Mr. Darcy pays, do you?" she asked, with only a little quaver to her voice. As Lord Willoughby looked at her I tried to make a gesture to tell Teddy to get help. He must have understood because he ran back over the ridge and was gone.

"I might. I might not. If you do not cooperate I definitely will not. Be a good girl and you may get out of this alive. Now both of you, turn around and start walking."

I let go of Grace's hand and we both turned and did as we were told. Lord Willoughby followed several steps behind us to prevent us suddenly turning on him.

"That is right, just keep walking, nice and steady. You will turn right where the two paths meet before the top of the ridge."

We continued forward. I considered pretending to sprain an ankle, but I suspected he would just shoot me and take Grace on alone. We would do better to cooperate for now and gave Teddy a chance to get help.

We had just made the turn he told us to take when help arrived, flying over the hedge in a great black blur and a thundering of hooves. Lord Willoughby barely had time to turn before a huge horse ran into him and knocked him off his feet. The horse continued on with the momentum of the charge. I heard Colonel Fitzwilliam shout.

"Grab the gun before he recovers!"

I ran to grab the gun from where it had fallen, although there really was no need. Lord Willoughby would not recover. He had been thrown to the ground by the impact and from the angle of his head he would never threaten anyone again.

The horse reared and stamped, almost unseating the colonel.

"Whoa, Satan! You've done your job. There's a good lad! Calm down now." Slowly the horse settled down. The he walked over to nose at the body. When it did not move the horse huffed out a breath and looked at me with something like triumph.

The colonel jumped from the saddle, dropping the reins as he did. He ran to us and gathered me into his arms.

"Are you well? He did not hurt you, did he?"

I leaned against him for a moment, then pulled away just enough that I could also grasp Grace's hand.

"We are both fine. We are, truly."

"I am so sorry my men failed to protect you."

" _You_ did not fail to protect us. Did Teddy tell you where we were?"

"Yes. He came pelting down the trail just as I arrived. He pointed the way and I put Old Satan to a full gallop. The horse amazed me when he took that hedge. I have been taking him out seeing if he will behave for me if I let him have his head. It gives him a break from the training ring and he seems to have decided he likes me. He certainly earned his oats today."

I think the horse knew we were talking about him. He pawed the ground a bit and walked over to us.

"That he did," I said. Grace reached out gently to touch the horse's nose. The colonel moved his free hand to stop her, but the horse moved first, stepping forward and allowing her to stroke him.

"Well that beats all," the colonel said in surprise. I would swear the horse smirked at him. Suddenly the colonel seemed to realize he still had one arm wrapped around me. He stepped a pace away from me and turned bright red.

"I.. uh...um," he stuttered but could not quite speak.

"We do need to talk about this. About several things in fact," I told him. "But could we return to the house first? This is not the time or place for the discussion I want to have with you."

He took a deep breath and regained his composure somewhat. "Yes. You are right. Yes. Let me escort you back. I can send my guards to collect this bit of refuse. That is probably an assignment they can handle." He nodded towards Lord Willoughby.

As we turned to walk away Grace picked up the horse's reins and held them loosely. Old Satan did not protest, he just followed quietly behind her as we walked the path back to Longbourn.


	46. Chapter 46

We topped the rise all four together. I had my right arm firmly wrapped around the colonel's left arm as we walked. Grace was at my left and the horse plodded calmly behind her, occasionally reaching his head forward to snuffle at her hair. Ahead we could see the house. Several men from the staff were gathering at the front, led by Teddy. Kitty and Lydia stood together with their parents just outside the front door. I could tell they wanted to run and help us by the way they moved, but Mr. Bennet was clearly telling them to stay put.

Our appearance was greeted with a shout of joy.

"Colonel Fitzwilliam!" Mrs. Bennet cried, "You saved them!"

I dropped his arm and we stepped apart from each other as he answered. "Actually, the _horse_ saved them. I just had to stay on his back for the ride."

Old Satan snorted, raised his head in a noble pose and pawed at the ground. Whether the horse intended it or not, that broke some of the tension. One of the grooms, part of the group readying to come help, stepped forward to take the reins from Grace.

"Give him a treat of some kind," the colonel said. "He deserves it. I think he is fond of carrots if you have a few about." The groom nodded and led a smug-looking horse away.

Kitty and Lydia rushed to Grace and wrapped her in a group hug. A tearful Mrs. Bennet surprised me with a hearty embrace before she turned to pull Grace away from the group and hug her as well. She finished by hugging Kitty and Lydia for good measure, as Mr. Bennet chuckled at her antics. He patted his wife's back as she pulled away from her fourth hug and offered her his handkerchief.

"There, there, dear," he said, "everyone is safe now." He stopped and looked at the colonel, who had called his two men over and was giving them quiet directions. "Everyone _is_ safe, Colonel?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Bennet. Perhaps we should all go in and we can hear the story. Teddy!" he turned to the boy. "You did a very good job getting help. Do you feel up to a run to the dower house to ask Mr. Darcy to come join us?"

"Yes, sir!" said Teddy, giving a salute. Before the colonel could say another word the boy was off at a sprint, quickly passing up the colonel's men. I hoped he would not be too taken aback by the sight of Lord Willoughby.

The colonel sighed. "I meant to send a note and give my men a chance to move Willoughby before the boy passed. I cannot fault him for his devotion to duty, though. We will just have to train him later to wait for his full orders before taking action."

"Is Willoughby tied up, colonel?" Mr. Bennet asked.

"Inside, first" he answered. "I think the ladies need to sit down and we could all use some tea. We should probably wait for Will and, now that I think of it, we should send for the magistrate. That is a little further than Teddy's running distance I expect."

Mr. Bennet called over one of his men to act as messenger and summon the magistrate, while the colonel ushered the rest of us inside. Lydia helped her mother, who was still looking weepy. Kitty stepped ahead of the group to ask Mrs. Hill to bring in tea for us all. I hung back just enough to walk next to the colonel, who guided me along with a gentle hand on my back. I was starting to feel a bit weepy myself and took comfort from the warmth of his hand.

As we entered the drawing room Mrs. Bennet began to fuss about the state of her nerves and how frightening the whole situation was. I had not heard her speak like this since the very beginning of our acquaintance. I was a little worried, but Lydia spoke up.

"Now, Mama, do calm down. Your nerves are just fine and we are all safe. You trust the Colonel, do you not? He said we would be safe and we are."

Mrs. Bennet sniffled into her handkerchief as Lydia led her to the favored chair by the fire. "You need some tea, Mama, that is all. Kitty is having it sent in." She patted her mothers hand and Mrs. Bennet nodded and dried her eyes.

The rest of us took seats around the room as Kitty came in to join us. Mr. Bennet followed soon after. He came to stand next to his wife and gently patted her shoulder.

"I have sent one of the lads for the magistrate. It might be some time before Mr. Archer gets here and I do not think we can all wait that long for the story. Please have mercy on us and tell us what happened."

The colonel looked at me and nodded. It was a simple enough story. We could repeat it again for the Darcys and later for the magistrate. Before I could speak Mrs. Hill brought in the tea tray.

"I will tell you," I said, "but I could use a few sips of that tea first."

Kitty acted as hostess and poured the tea, making mine just the way I like it. I sipped at it while she served the others in the room. Mrs. Bennet stopped dabbing at her eyes long enough to say, "You are doing a good job Kitty. Thank you for serving the tea." Mr. Bennet smiled and nodded at her as she handed him his cup. When everyone had been served they all looked at me expectantly. I took another sip, followed by a deep breath.

"As you know, although the colonel may not, the four of us – Kitty, Lydia, Grace and I – decided to walk over to the dower house to visit with Elizabeth and Georgiana." I got no further because just then we heard a carriage pull up. It was probably the Darcys, so I stopped to give them a chance to enter and be served their tea.

Mr. Darcy came in first, followed quickly by his wife, sister and Mildred. "Are you all well?" he asked in a frantic manner similar to how the colonel had asked, although without the embrace. I nearly chuckled at the thought, but sobered at his next words. "Teddy told me Lord Willoughby is dead. What happened?"

"Dead!" came the cry from most of the others in the room. Mrs. Bennet began to flutter again.

"Calm down everyone!" The colonel said in a loud firm voice. "We will tell you what happened. Just calm down. We are all safe and sound." He gave his cousin a dirty look, then motioned him to sit. Georgiana rushed over to Grace and Lydia. Mildred and Elizabeth came to sit by me and Mr. Darcy sat on his wife's other side., while Mr. Bennet continued to pat his wife's shoulder comfortingly. Kitty served the newcomers their tea and the room quieted again.

I looked at the colonel and he nodded. After another deep breath I started again.

"As I had just mentioned, Kitty, Lydia, Grace and I decided to walk to the dower house. We thought that with four of us in company and the colonel's men patrolling the area we should be safe." I heard the colonel huff with frustration next to me, but continued.

"We had just gotten over the first rise in the path when Kitty remembered some sheet music she wanted to bring to Georgiana. We were still very close to the house, so I saw no harm in letting her and Lydia run back together to get it. Grace and I planned to walk slowly up the next rise, which has a little better view of the countryside, and wait for them. We did not know that Lord Willoughby was waiting around the bend in the hedge." There were several gasps, but no one interrupted.

"He had a pistol trained on us before we realized he was there. I knew Kitty and Lydia would be returning soon, so I tried to keep him talking in hopes they would see what was happening when they came over the rise and would get help. He mistook Grace for a Bennet daughter and I did not let her correct him."

"Very wise," murmured the colonel.

"His intent was to hold us to ransom, which he expected Mr. Darcy to pay. He knows you care for your family and while Georgiana was out of reach you would probably pay for the return of one of your new sisters and possibly even for me."

"I would have," Mr. Darcy confirmed.

"And I would have tracked him down and killed him the moment you were safe," the colonel added.

"He never intended to give us back safely," Grace spoke up and all eyes in the room turned to her. "He said he would kill Sophia if either of us gave him trouble and told me I would just have to behave and wait to see if he would let me go."

Sounds of indignation filled the room. I took up the narrative again.

"Grace distracted him asking about his intentions for her. Teddy arrived before Kitty and Lydia could. He was making ready to throw his ball at Lord Willoughby probably followed by a more physical attack, but Grace gave me the chance to motion him away to get help. I know he is a brave boy, but our chances were better if we cooperated until more help than just Teddy arrived."

There was some general agreement at that. Both the colonel and Mr. Darcy looked well-angered by the events.

"When I questioned Lord Willoughby about his intentions he indicated he had been watching the house for a few days and the men assigned to protect us were very regular in their patrolling habits, which gave him his opportunity to hide nearby."

"Dunderheads!" blurted out the colonel. "I told them to vary their patterns and not always follow the same routes and times to patrol! To think what their idiocy could have cost us." I patted his hand to get his attention.

"Colonel, it was a training exercise. We now know they need _more_ training." he shook his head in frustration but quieted down.

"Lord Willoughby also told us he had his escape already planned," I continued. "He did not say so specifically, but I had the feeling he had other men working with him, in readiness for his return with whatever money he could get."

"Hampton," said Mr. Darcy. I shrugged slightly. I did not know.

"When I could delay him no longer we followed his instructions to walk ahead of him up the path where we were to take the turn away from Longbourn. That was when the colonel came flying over the hedge on that huge black horse who ran right over Lord Willoughby." I stopped, not sure how to continue. The colonel took up the narrative and looked at Mr. Darcy.

"As you know, I bought Old Satan from Mr. Turnwell a while back and have been using him to give my men special training and some amusement as they try to manage a horse that has no intention of being managed. He seems to enjoy the occasional long run as a diversion from throwing men into straw bales. I decided to take him out today when I came to Longbourn for a visit. I arrived here just as Teddy came running back up to the house shouting for help. He said a man with a gun was threatening Miss York on the path to the dower house. I told him to gather more men and I took off. Actually, I just did my best to keep my seat and Old Satan flew in the direction I had pointed him. He had no patience for curves in the trail and he took that hedge before I knew he even meant to."

"He cleared that hedge at the turning?" Mr. Darcy asked in disbelief. "And your little enclosure in the camp keeps him in?"

"He must stay for the amusement of it," the colonel said with a shrug. "I will have to rethink that enclosure." He shook his head, puffed out a heavy breath then continued. "At any rate, I had not planned to run over Willoughby. I was only trying to get there quickly. The _horse_ decided to barrel right through him and just keep running. By the time we turned and got back it was clear Willoughby was no longer a threat. He broke his neck in the fall. There was no need to guard him, so we all returned here to the house. I have sent my men to collect the remains, althought we probably should have waited for the magistrate but I did not remember that until they were gone and we were in here."

The assembled company asked us a few more questions, which the colonel and I answered as best we could. Mr. Darcy had me go back over the conversation with Lord Willoughby, asking me to repeat it word for word if I could. I did, prompting more sniffles from Mrs. Bennet and outright anger from everyone else.

"We knew he was dangerous," said Mr. Bennet, still absently patting his wife's shoulder. "We just did not expect him to get around the guards."

Mr. Darcy continued to ask questions until it seemed he was certain he could gather no more from me or Grace. Finally, he stood.

"Bennet, perhaps Richard and I can meet with you in your study to discuss this further while we wait for the magistrate?"

"No, Mr. Darcy," I said firmly as I also stood up. "The colonel and I need to speak privately first. There are things we need to say to one another and we have been interrupted too many times already."

Mr. Darcy looked at me in surprise, although whether his surprise was over being contradicted or what I had said, I could not tell. Mildred and Elizabeth exchanged knowing smiles while the four young ladies giggled quietly. Mrs. Bennet offered me the first full smile I had seen from her all day.

"I believe the back parlor is free," she said with a wink. Mr. Bennet just chuckled.

The colonel stood and thanked Mrs. Bennet with a bow. Then he offered me his arm, escorted me past the amused occupants of the drawing room and down the hall to the back parlor. He pulled the door just shy of closed behind us.

"Whew!" he puffed. "Thank the Lord _you_ had the courage to speak up. If Will had prevailed I would have been pulled away and probably not have seen you again all day."

"The magistrate is still on the way," I warned. "We need to speak before he arrives."

"Yes, we do," he said with a nervous smile. I looked at him expectantly. He blushed slightly and cleared his throat. I waited while he gathered his courage.

"I love you," he said, pausing to smile at me brightly before he continued. "I have loved you from the moment I met you, although I fought against the feeling at first."

I looked at him inquiringly. He cleared his throat again and continued. "I am a soldier. My life is subject to the whims of my superiors. I have always felt the life of an officer's wife is too difficult, too unsettled, to subject any good woman to it. I have seen the wives who have to move from station to station or who remain here in near poverty while their husbands serve on the Continent. I have seen the widows and their children trying to make ends meet after the husbands die the so-called hero's death. I have given that horrible news to a few new widows and watched their grief and fear for the future overtake them. I struggled against my love for you because you deserve better."

I took a breath to speak, but he forestalled me. "Everyone else realized the attraction between us." He chuckled. "The Duke of Montrose told me on our trip to find the bishop that he could see my feelings for you and yours for me. He plainly said I would be a fool to let my pride keep me from pursuing a future with you. When I told him my fears he contradicted me. He said a good woman was the _only_ kind of wife to have no matter what your occupation. A soldier needed a kind, strong, intelligent wife more than most. The duke thinks very highly of you, my dear. He said you would do me credit whether I remained a soldier all my life or took over as the Earl of Matlock."

He took a few deep breaths. I could tell he was still not done, so I smiled but remained silent. He nodded.

"By Christmas I was lost. When I saw you beneath the mistletoe I could not resist a kiss, although what I really wanted was to pull you close and kiss you until we were both breathless."

I blushed as fiercely as he did. "I do not think I would have minded," I said softly.

He grinned. "As you said earlier, we just kept getting interrupted. Every time I gathered my courage to speak my heart something or someone got in the way. I lost my nerve with each interruption, although my love for you grew ever stronger. Even though I could see your regard, it is frightening to bare my feelings."

"I love you, Richard. At first I felt our circumstances were too much against us. You may be a soldier, but you are also the son of an earl. I am a governess. I felt you deserved more." He started to speak, but this time _I_ stopped _him_.

"Eventually I realized that our circumstances were less important than how we feel about each other. We may have to work hard and make sacrifices to support ourselves. I also have Grace to think of, but together we can face any challenge that might overcome either of us alone."

"Yes, we do have responsibilities," he agreed. "I need to see the reorganization of the unit through and you have not only Grace, but your duties to the Bennet girls." He took another deep breath. "That does not mean we must wait to declare our commitment to one another, even if we must wait to fulfill that commitment."

Taking my hands, he looked into my eyes and said, "Sophia, will you marry me?"

"Yes," I answered with a smile.

He gathered me into his arms and gave me my first real kiss. Even after we were both breathless I wished it would last forever.


	47. Chapter 47

AN: I had a productive day today and you reap the benefits in the form of a second chapter posted this evening. Enjoy!

* * *

When we finally pulled apart from our first kiss, and the few that followed, we did have to discuss other things.

"We will have a long enough engagement to allow us to deal with our responsibilities," Richard said, then he sighed. "I hate the idea of waiting."

"I do _not_ intend to wait until Kitty and Lydia come out in town," I told him firmly. "I will wait until other arrangements can be made, though."

"Agreed. About the finances... I am not exactly penniless. I have been saving most of my pay for years and have had Will help me invest the funds. I knew I would want to retire some time and I could not count on my father for any assistance. We will have enough to house and feed you in comfort if not luxury."

"I also have saved as much as I could over the years. In addition, the interest from the trust fund I inherited from my mother is not much, but it will help pay for Grace's keep. It costs just about the same to feed three as it does two." I hesitated, then added, "That is if you will let me have her with us."

"I would not part you from your sister, my dear," he said indulgently, then stole a quick kiss.

"Richard," I said, laughingly pushing him away. "We need to settle a few more things before they interrupt us."

"You are right, I suppose," he sighed, then he kissed me again and I willingly participated.

When we caught our breath once more he told me, "Will assures me that he will continue to help me manage and protect my funds so I can provide for you and any children we have. I should even be able to settle something on you and provide a small dowry for Grace. As even Willoughby realized, Will cares for his family and when we marry you and Grace will _be_ his family too. He told me I had to get over my pride and realize that my objections were just excuses. You have to promise me not to let _your_ pride keep you from going to him for help if anything ever happens to me."

"I promise, Richard. But _you_ have to promise to take appropriate caution to avoid having anything happen to you."

"I will do what I can."

"It sounds like you had your advisers pushing you at the same time I had Charlotte, Elizabeth and Mildred encouraging me."

"I think everyone was trying to help us come together. Except for Sir William," he laughed.

"Would it help to know Sir William kept Charlotte and Lieutenant Andrews from coming to an even earlier understanding as well?"

"He did? I am glad it is not just me. He is a pleasant man, but I almost strangled him that day."

"Charlotte said _she_ almost strangled him when he insisted on sitting and talking with the Lieutenant when she wanted to have a conversation about what would be an acceptable wedding date if he would only propose."

Richard laughed out loud. "Sir William probably never noticed her fuming or Andrews wondering what was happening. Sophia, if I am ever that oblivious when Grace's suitors come calling please do give me hint."

"You can count on that." I told him with mock severity. Then I laughed along with him.

Mr. Darcy knocked on the door and poked his head in. He took in the sight of us in a loose embrace, laughing together. "Congratulations are in order, I hope?"

We nodded.

"I am happy for you both. I hope you have said what was needed for right now. The magistrate is here and he wants to speak with Richard immediately."

Richard sighed, then quickly kissed my forehead before releasing me and stepping away. "Is he in Bennet's study?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Sophia, would you like to tell our news to all the ladies?"

"I am sure they are already well aware of it, but I will go confirm the engagement. You gentlemen will get to miss out on the initial fuss." He and Mr. Darcy walked away chuckling. I stopped a moment to fix my hair, which had become somewhat disarranged, then I headed to the drawing room. Every eye turned to me as I entered.

"Well?" said Elizabeth.

"We are engaged." I announced with a huge smile.

I am not sure I have ever been hugged so much in my lifetime. The room was filled with the sound of excited, happy, female voices.

"We just knew he liked you, Miss York!"

"I am so glad Richard finally proposed. That will make you and Grace my cousins!"

"Good work with the verbal plank, Sophia"

"I am going to have a brother!"

"I told you all would be well."

The various comments were topped by Mrs. Bennet's loud pronouncement. "I just knew you would bring that boy up to scratch if you could get a few moments alone with him!"

We all laughed happily at that. We were still laughing when Mrs. Hill announced Lady Lucas and her daughters a few moments later.

"Why whatever has happened?" Lady Lucas asked.

Charlotte guessed immediately. "He asked?"

"And I accepted." I did not think I could smile more broadly.

Lady Lucas and Miss Maria still looked confused, but Lydia settled that. "Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss York are engaged to be married!" she announced triumphantly.

Charlotte had already approached to give me a hug and her congratulations. Lady Lucas and Miss Maria simply wished me joy. With the new additions to the group in the drawing room everything settled down a little.

Mrs. Bennet had her friend sit next to her so she could hear all the news from the attack to the engagement. Miss Maria joined the other four young ladies to chat about the same thing, while Elizabeth, Mildred and I brought Charlotte up to date.

"Oh my," she said when we had finished. "You have certainly had an exciting and memorable day. I am glad Lord Willoughby is no longer a threat. It must have been very frightening."

"Not as much as it could have been. I was certain Kitty and Lydia would return in time to see us and get help or that they would quickly report us as missing. The main point was to remain calm. It helped that he was so calm, even if that made the threat greater. If he had been in a rage it would have made him more unpredictable and _that_ would have been frightening."

"And it was the horse that saved you? Truly?"

"Well, it was the horse that stopped Lord Willoughby. The colonel was the one riding him, though. He was my knight on a _black_ charger." I laughed and added., "That horse would have made a great war steed in the days of old."

From the side of the room where the five young ladies sat I heard "...and he jumped off the horse and hugged her while asking if she was well!" followed by giggles.

"Grace!" I said sharply, embarrassed that she had told of what was a very special moment for me. I had certainly not mentioned it to anyone else when I told the story.

"I am sorry, Sophia," she said and hung her head, although she still looked amused. "He was just so very sweet and worried about you."

"He was both. But just think about it. If you had been in my place would _you_ want everyone to know."

This time she _did_ look contrite. "I am sorry for telling, Sophia."

"And we will only tease you about it a little bit," said Charlotte, chuckling.

"Especially since you did not see fit to tell _us_ ," added Elizabeth with a teasing grin.

I supposed that being teased was one of the hazards of having lively friends. I would just have to accept it and give some back in return.

"When is the wedding?" Mrs. Bennet asked suddenly.

"We do not know yet. It may be several months. He needs to finish up his current work with the militia unit and I do not wish to suddenly leave you without a governess."

"Do not worry about that, dear. You have set us off to a good start. When the time comes we will have my brother Gardiner find us someone to be their companion if they come out in town with Georgiana. Grasp your happiness while you can."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bennet. Nevertheless, I will certainly give you proper warning when we have a date settled."

She smiled and nodded, returning to her conversation with Lady Lucas.

"I agree with Mrs. Bennet," said Charlotte. "Do not wait any longer than you must. Life is too short to put off the things that will make you happy."

"I will remember," I said, "but it is also important to both of us to properly meet our commitments." I winked at my group and added, "but if we can marry and fulfill them at the same time I will not hesitate a moment longer than I must."

We switched to chatting about Charlotte's wedding plans. Her mother wanted to host a large wedding breakfast, trying to rival Mrs. Bennet, but Charlotte was insisting on something smaller.

"I really only want a few of the families who are our closest friends and some of the officers that Henry knows best. His family has promised to be here a day or two before the wedding. I hope they will like me."

"Of course they will, Charlotte," said Elizabeth. "Aunt Gardiner says they are sensible people, after all."

We spoke for a while longer, until Lady Lucas decided it was time to take the day's gossip somewhere else. Charlotte assured me her mother would as happily share my good news with her friends as she had shared Charlotte's. To be the first to bring the gossip was the goal. I was a little surprised Mrs. Bennet did not feel like joining her friend in her visits, but she said she was a little tired and preferred to stay home. I think she might also still have been a little frightened by the day's happenings.

The gentlemen returned from the study a short time after the Lucas ladies left. Mr. Archer asked a few questions of both me and Grace. Then he said he was satisfied to report Lord Willoughby's death as accidental although happening while the victim was committing a crime. Richard and Mr. Darcy walked out with him. There were still details of what to do with the body. I wondered a bit about what would happen with the estates. I knew _I_ had no legal claim to Stone Landing, although I was, quite possibly his next of kin. Was there a protocol for reporting the death to the solicitors in charge of the estates? I would have to ask when Richard and Mr. Darcy returned. Hopefully they would have a better idea of how to proceed than I did.

I was drawn from my thoughts by hearing Lydia explaining to Grace, "Well, of course, if Georgie is our sister and her cousin marries your sister then you become Georgie's cousin and therefore ours."

I looked at Elizabeth, who laughed. "I doubt the relationship would hold up for any legal purposes, but if it makes them happy I see no harm in it. Welcome to the family, cousin."

"I thank you, cousin, although there is the little matter of the wedding which must happen first."

Elizabeth waved a hand airily, "A mere trifle. Hardly worth mentioning."

Mildred shook her head as she softly laughed at our nonsense.

"I wonder if we should remind them to pick up their handwork," I said. Then I looked down at my own hands that were empty. "Or not," I added.

"We are all too relieved and happy to be bothered right now," said Elizabeth. "We can return to the routines tomorrow. Today we celebrate your safety and your engagement."

"She is right," said Mildred. "We do not have to have our hands busy every moment."

"As long as we are all agreed I am willing to consider the rest of the day as free time."

Elizabeth whispered to us both "Let us wait to tell them later. Leave them in suspense should they happen to wonder why no is setting a single stitch." She began to laugh softly and we joined her. After the serious events earlier I felt we deserved a little silliness. It was a good day for a little break and I had much to celebrate. I was engaged to Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam!


	48. Chapter 48

The afternoon shadows were definitely lengthening by the time Mr. Bennet, Mr. Darcy and Richard returned to the drawing room. Mr. Darcy told us they had consulted with Mr. Archer to make all the necessary arrangements for the disposition of Lord Willoughby. His remains had been removed from Longbourn. The Duke of Montrose would know from the investigations which solicitors managed the estate matters, so Mr. Darcy had sent him an express with full details of the incident. He smiled and winked at me when he said the word "full", so I assumed he had also sent notice of the engagement. I expected a few words of congratulations when I received my next move in our chess game.

After Mr. Darcy gave his report, Mrs. Bennet spoke up, "Colonel, will you be joining us for dinner this evening?"

He looked at me with regret and answered, "I cannot stay for dinner today, but plan on me for luncheon on Sunday. Given Willoughby's association with the smugglers I have to set some inquiries in motion. I only came back in to take my leave of you all. Your grooms are saddling my horse even now." he stopped for a moment and added, "or at least I hope he is letting them saddle him." We all laughed.

"I want to see this horse," said Elizabeth. "I think we will walk out with you to see you off."

Richard shrugged and smiled, then he offered me his arm. "As you wish," he said, "although my attention is more for this lady than the horse."

"Finally," said Mr. Darcy with a teasing smile, "my cousin has his priorities straight." He offered his arm to his wife amid the laughter.

The young ladies stood to follow, while Mildred decided to stay inside with Mrs. Bennet. "Do not crowd the horse," she said to the younger set. "You know he can be unpredictable." They assured her they would be careful. Richard gave me a look that indicated he did not quite believe them. I smiled. We would keep an eye on them.

As we stepped outside a groom was just bringing Old Satan around, fully tacked up for the ride. The horse still had a rather smug air about him, that only increased as he saw his audience. Upon seeing Grace he tugged at the reins, pulling his way towards her.

"He _is_ a large horse!" Elizabeth said. "He has the bulk of a draught horse, but nothing of the placid look I associate with them. He may be pure black, but he looks like there is fire under his skin."

"A very poetic description," Richard said. "I think you are right."

The horse walked right up to Grace, nickered and offered his nose for a scratch. She happily complied while Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana hung back just a bit. The groom stood by uncertainly, still holding the reins, but he addressed Richard, "We gave him some treats like you asked, sir. He also had a complete rub down before we re-saddled him for you. He is a lively one."

"That he is," answered Richard with a fond note to his voice. The horse swiveled his head a little and seemed to wink at Richard before turning back for more attention from Grace. Lydia stepped forward a little hesitantly and Old Satan moved to let her scratch under his chin. Kitty and Georgiana hung back, although they clearly admired the huge black beast.

"He seems to have a soft spot for the ladies," said Mr. Darcy. "Who can blame him in such company?"

"Are you sure he is safe to ride, Richard?" Elizabeth asked with concern. "I have heard stories about his antics in your training ring."

"He seems to have accepted me as a rider. I have not tried to break his spirit and I think he knows I respect him. If he decides I will stay on his back then I _will_ stay on his back. I only have to worry if he decides otherwise. Everything I have heard and seen about him, though, says that even when he disposes of a rider it is usually someplace soft. Wickham was an exception and a very deserving one at that."

Richard turned and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before he stepped away and took the reins from the groom. He patted the horse on his neck and said, "Come on, lad. You can make up to the ladies again later. We have work to do back at the camp."

The horse snorted and stamped his foot a bit, but allowed Richard to mount. Grace and Lydia both gave him another few scratches under the chin, then stepped back to where the others stood.

"I will see you all later," Richard said with a smile. He looked at me and said, "Thank you for accepting me, Sophia. At the latest I will see you at services on Sunday. Save a seat for me if I am late." He winked at me.

"I expect you to be there on time," I said with a laugh. "What kind of example do you set for your men if you are late to church?" Everyone laughed with us while Richard rode off.

We returned to the drawing room to find Mildred had picked up an item from the mending basket and was working away. Free day or not, some habits cannot be denied. I noticed the noise of our entrance had woken Mrs. Bennet from another doze. I stepped over to her.

"Mrs. Bennet," I said gently, "I notice you have been rather sleepy lately. Are you feeling well?"

"Oh, I am fine," she said. "I have just felt a little dozy in the afternoons of late. Winter does that to me."

"I know what you mean," said Elizabeth. "I have been feeling like all my energy keeps draining away lately. The weather has been fine, but it is still cold and gets dark earlier than I like. With all the safety worries I have not been able to go for daily walks as I normally do and that leaves me more tired."

"I do not understand how long walks can give you more energy," said Mrs. Bennet a little peevishly.

"That is because you are not _fond_ of long walks, Mama," Elizabeth smiled at her mother. "You know I like few things better."

"I will be happy to take a long walk with you tomorrow," said her husband. "But for now, I think we must leave as well. I was working on an issue at Pemberley and need to finish my letter to the steward so it can go out early tomorrow."

"I have a letter to finish for Mrs. Reynolds as well, which can go with it," Elizabeth agreed.

"Our carriage should be ready in a few moments. I asked to have it prepared right after Richard asked for his horse to be made ready."

There was still a little time before dinner after the Darcys and Mildred left. Kitty and Lydia asked to play chess with their father and Grace to guide them. Mr. Bennet brought the chess board into the drawing room so we could all keep company together. He sat looking over Lydia's shoulder, offering advice in a whisper if she asked, while Grace did the same for Kitty. Mrs. Bennet was dozing again, so I decided it was a good time to go find Teddy.

Mrs. Hill told me I would find him in the side yard. He was out tossing his ball over a high tree branch and catching it again as it fell.

"I may not be very good at catching or throwing, Teddy," I said as I came up to him, "but if you do not mind that, I will be happy to play a little ball with you."

He gave me a bright smile. "I do not mind, Miss York," he told me as he made his catch. He tossed the ball my way, gently enough that I was able to catch it. I threw it back, with a poor enough aim that he had to run to get to it. He laughed.

"You have to move your arm like this, Miss," he said, demonstrating the throw. I caught the ball and tried again.

"That is better!" he said as he caught it. We tossed the ball back and forth several times while he gave me tips on how to throw. His tosses to me were always gentle and well aimed. I still missed a couple times but it was fun, nonetheless. I know ladies did not play ball, but this seemed a good way to get to know him. I suspected Elizabeth had not only played ball with him in the past but was much better at it than I was.

After a while I said, "I want to thank you, Teddy. You were a big help today." I caught another gentle toss.

"I was going to hit that man with my ball and then run at him," he said. "The colonel told me later that it is dangerous to hit someone if they have a gun pointing at someone else. They might shoot if they are surprised. I did not think of that." He caught my throw with ease. My aim was improving.

"You are a very good runner. I was amazed at how quickly the Darcys arrived here after you went for them."

He grinned at the praise. "I know all the shortcuts. I stopped for a moment when I saw the man dead there but then I hurried on because I knew the colonel wanted Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bennet told me a good messenger does not dawdle."

"He is right. I think you make a very good messenger."

"Why did that Lord Willow..., um, that man, want to hurt you and Miss Grace?"

"He really wanted to get money from Mr. Darcy and he thought my sister was one of the Bennets. He did not like _me_ very much either. He was a distant cousin of my father and he inherited my father's estate and money, only he wasted everything. Now he wanted more money. I stopped him from getting at Miss Darcy in town, so he was mad at me."

"I like Miss Darcy. That Wickham man wanted to hurt her for her money, too."

"And you helped stop him as well. Did you know the colonel's horse also stopped both men?" My throw was a little wild and he ran to get the ball.

"How did a horse do that?" he asked, laughing as he tossed it back.

"Mr. Wickham tried to steal the horse and escape on him. Old Satan carried him for a little while and then he threw Mr. Wickham into a hedge, hurting him badly."

"The horse did good. That man broke Miss Darcy's arm and hurt Miss Lizzy, I mean Mrs. Darcy, really bad. How did he stop the other man?"

"After you told the colonel where we were the horse took the straightest path to us. The colonel said he just did his best to stay on. When they got to the place where the path turns the horse did not want to go around. He jumped right over the hedge and ran into Lord Willoughby and just kept going. Lord Willoughby was tossed aside and broke his neck when he fell."

"I like that horse," said Teddy firmly. He tossed the ball to me again.

"I do too. Thank you for the game of ball, Teddy. You are a good teacher." I tossed it back and he caught it easily.

"You learn pretty well. You are not as good as Miss Lizzy, I mean Mrs. Darcy, but you are getting better than when we started. It is probably time for me to go in anyway," he said with a little sigh. It _was_ getting dark, so we headed back into the house together. He turned to go to the kitchens and I returned to the drawing room after receiving an approving nod from Mrs. Hill as she saw us enter in company.

Kitty had just won the chess game. "Where were you, Miss York? You missed seeing the game."

"I was out talking to Teddy. I wanted to thank him for getting help this afternoon."

"I should thank him too," said Grace.

"Maybe tomorrow," I said. "He is about to go in for his dinner as well."

Mr. Bennet nodded. "I have never regretted for a moment letting that boy stay here after his parents died. Darcy has made provisions for his future and I know he will grow up to be a good man. Did you enjoy your game of catch with him?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"I did. I have never played ball before, but he was a good teacher." I had no idea how he knew, but there was no point denying it.

"Lizzy has frequently enjoyed a game with him as well."

"You played ball, Sophia?" my sister asked in amazement.

"I wanted to talk with him and that seemed like a good way to have a comfortable chat. He was very gentle in his tosses to me and he taught me how to throw a little better. It my not be one of the normal accomplishments of a lady, but it did me no harm." I laughed at her surprise.

They joined me and our laughter woke Mrs. Bennet from another light doze. "Is it time for dinner?" she asked.

"It is, madam," said Mrs. Hill, who had just then arrived in the doorway.

Still chuckling, Mr. Bennet went over to help his wife stand. We left the chess board as it was. Mr. Bennet asked me for a match after dinner. "We need to show these young ones how to play," he said with a wink. I looked forward to the challenge.

0o0o0o0

The colonel was very prompt in his arrival at services on Sunday, as were we. He came over to stand at my side while we received congratulations from several of the neighbors. Lady Lucas had clearly spread the word far and wide.

Mr. Turnwell approached us, "Congratulations on your engagement, Miss York. The colonel is a fine man," he said cheerfully. He gave Richard a clap on the shoulder. "I hear you found a good use for that wild horse, Colonel," he said.

"He has been of use in many ways," Richard answered with a smile. "He trains my men and protects the ladies. In fact, he seems to have a special fondness for the ladies, especially my betrothed's younger sister. He lets her lead him around and begs for a good scratch on the nose."

"Well, that beats all. I had quite given up on him. I honestly thought you were a little crazy when you bought him from me."

"He does a good job of teaching my men what it is like to deal with a fractious horse. They may never ride into battle like I have, but it is good knowledge to have. Even the best trained horse may get spooked at times and you have to know how to stay on. This horse thinks unseating the men is a game and seems to enjoy it."

Mr. Turnwell laughed. "Well, I need to go on in. Congratulations to you both." He left and few others approached to wish us well.

It felt good to have Richard sitting next to me through the service. We could not hold hands or even sit too closely together, but that did not matter so much. I felt the warmth of his presence next to me as I prayed in thankfulness for all our safety and for the agreement Richard and I had made to share the rest of our lives together.

We received more congratulations and good wishes on the way out to the carriages after services. Grace was looking a little overwhelmed by how many people welcomed her and offered congratulations on the new brother she would have. Kitty and Lydia stood by her side and turned the conversations when Grace became too uncomfortable. The lessons on deportment were showing. Both girls remained polite and gracious in their speech. I was proud of them.

As he handed me into the carriage Richard said, "I need to accompany my men back to camp and make sure all is well there. I will be at Longbourn in time for the meal." He kissed my hand, gave me a wink and was off.

A few minutes later we were on our way as well. I was looking forward to the family meal and a little more of Richard's company that day.


	49. Chapter 49

Mr. Darcy had updated the Bingleys on both the happenings with Lord Willoughby and my engagement. Mr. Bingley congratulated me with his usual enthusiasm. He cheerfully told me of Richard's good qualities and repeatedly predicted our happiness until Jane placed a calming hand on his arm and gave him a pointed look. He laughed at himself.

"Here I am, going on, when you already know what a good man he is. You would not have agreed to marry him otherwise. I am very happy for you both," he finished.

Jane then stepped forward and offered her congratulations as well, but in a more sedate and dignified manner. I thanked her for her good wishes as we all moved to find our favorite seats in the drawing room.

Richard arrived just before we were called to the dining room for the meal. He escorted me in and I asked him, "Did you ride Old Satan today?"

"Not this time," he said with a chuckle. "I wanted to be sure of getting here in time. He sometimes makes his own schedule or direction."

I wrapped my hand a little tighter around his arm and leaned against him slightly. "I am glad you made it here today _and_ that you were on time."

He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as he handed me into my seat by way of response.

"Now, Colonel," said Mr. Bennet teasingly. "Behave! You need to set a good example in front of all these young ladies."

Richard sighed in mock despair. "Spoilsport," he grumbled as he took the seat next to me.

"I think Richard is giving a perfect example," said Mr. Darcy. He gave Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek. Mr. Bingley followed suit with Jane.

"No fair, gentlemen," said Mr. Bennet with a chuckle. "My lady is all the way at the other end of the table."

Mrs. Bennet blushed. "Oh, how you tease, Mr. Bennet."

The food was delicious, as usual. Richard tucked in with a will, enjoying a little of everything set before us. "I have to say, Mrs. Bennet, you set a very fine table," he said as he served himself a little more. "We have a much better cook at the camp now than we did when I took over, but the meals are still not up to your standard."

"You do know how to flatter," she said with a smile.

"No flattery intended. It is simply the truth." He returned to eating as if to prove his point.

After the meal we all returned to the drawing room, opening the doors to the music room after Georgiana offered to play for us. She sat down and began a gentle piece to serve as background music if we chose to talk.

The chess board was still out. We had played a few games on Saturday afternoon and left it in case we wished to continue. Seeing it, Elizabeth challenged Grace to a game. The rest of the ladies all took out our handwork while we listened to Georgiana and watched the match.

I was finishing up another stocking with some of the wool I had purchased during our trip to town. Richard watched me work with interest.

"You do that without even really looking at your hands," he finally said quietly. "How do you know it is right?"

"I have been knitting so long that my fingers seem to just know if a stitch is right or wrong. If something feels wrong I look down and check. The whole thing is simply a matter of practice."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Very much. I find the repetitive nature of the work relaxing. If I need more challenge I can do a more complicated pattern."

He thought about it for a moment and then asked. "If I brought you one of my socks to use for size would you knit me a pair? I have bought them for years, but no one has made any just for me since Aunt Anne died. I would like to wear your work."

I smiled at him. "I will happily make socks for you, Richard. It is as fun knowing other people are wearing something I made for them as it is making the item."

I continued my work and he continued to sit quietly next to me, watching my hands move. He wore a small smile, a little different from his grins and teases. He simply looked happy. Sitting next to him I felt the same.

Elizabeth won the chess game, although Grace had played well. Mr. Darcy challenged Kitty to a game and they took their places at the board. They had gotten a good start to the match when Mrs. Hill entered the room. She carried two letters.

"An express messenger just arrived with these letters for Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy." She handed each man his letter.

"Is the messenger being taken care of?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"Yes, he is in the kitchen having a bite to eat while he waits to see if you have a response."

"And the same messenger brought both messages here?"

"He said they told him at the camp both you and the colonel would be here."

"Thank you. We will ring when we are ready to either send a response or dismiss him."

Richard had been examining his letter. "Not writing I recognize," he said, turning it over and breaking the seal.

"Nor I," said Mr. Darcy, doing the same.

Richard swore softly as he read, but said nothing else until he finished the letter and read it a second time. He looked up at all of us and said, "If Willoughby were not already dead I would kill him with my own hands."

"Agreed," said Mr. Darcy, who had finished a second perusal of his own letter. "Mrs. Jenkinson?" he asked his cousin.

"The same." Richard took a deep breath. "Cousin Anne's companion writes to let me know Lord Willoughby showed up at Rosings Park a few weeks ago and insisted Lady Catherine pay him the money my father and brother owed him. He became quite offensive and she threw him out on his ear, telling him to never return. He left the estate, but did not leave the area of Hunsford. Apparently he and a group of men he had with him took over the parsonage, evicting Mr. Collins who has not been seen in the area since. The men have terrorized the village. Two of them started by claiming to be constables investigating a smuggling operation."

"The fake constables?" I gasped.

"Possibly. They have intimidated the villagers and threatened them if they call for help. Last week Willoughby returned to Rosings with several of the men and forced his way in. He demanded funds but Lady Catherine resisted. One of his men killed her and they ransacked the house. They promised dire consequences if anyone tried to reach out for help. Willoughby left soon after and she does not know where he is, although of course _we_ know where he went next. She writes that she planned to sneak out this morning with these letters and would find an express rider to deliver them. She asks for help from us both, Will, but insists it is most vital that I come."

"That is very much what she says here," Mr. Darcy confirmed.

"What about Anne?" asked Georgiana.

"Not a word."

"Nor here," said Richard. "Of course, instead being constables investigating the smuggling ring they are part of the smuggling operation themselves. I have to go."

"If we leave now we can make Rosings by dark. Best to try and surprise them. We have to hope Mrs. Jenkinson was not caught after she engaged the express rider."

"Horseback is best, I think. And I shall bring a few of my men along."

"But not Old Satan."

"True, I need a horse I know will go the direction I point him in. Too bad. He has been such a help to us."

"Take my horse as far as the dower house," said Mr. Bennet to Mr. Darcy, "and leave your carriage here for Lizzy and Georgie. I will ride back with them and collect the horse while you take your own mount for the trip."

"That will be quickest. Would you ask the grooms to have our horses readied while Richard and I go question the express rider?" Mr. Bennet nodded and moved to ring the bell.

"I will head straight to the camp," Richard said. "And get my men organized." He took my hand and helped me rise. "We need a moment. I will join you in the kitchen shortly." Mr. Darcy nodded and reached to help his wife rise.

"Us, too," he said.

Richard and I went quickly to the back parlor. "You know why I have to go?" he asked.

"Yes. This is both work and family. You need to catch the smugglers if you can and see to your aunt and cousin. You will use caution, though?"

"Yes. I intend to come back to you. Will and I will be watching out for each other, I assure you."

We shared a long, passionate kiss that left me feeling dizzy before he stepped away. "Let me take you back to the drawing room. I will miss you every moment, Sophia."

I took the offered arm and followed saying, "As I will miss you."

0o0o0o0

Almost before we knew it Elizabeth and I were standing at the door watching as Richard and Mr. Darcy rode swiftly away. When they topped the rise and disappeared from our sight we turned and hugged each other without a word. Then we went back in to join the others.

This is the life of a soldier's wife, I thought to myself. When duty calls he must leave, no matter how much he would prefer not to go. This is what I accepted by accepting him. I would worry for him. I would wait for him. But I would never regret loving him.

0o0o0o0

"I know I should grieve for Aunt Catherine," Georgiana said sadly as she sat with Elizabeth. "I am sorry she is dead, but that is really all. She was never a pleasant person and I preferred not to be around her if I could help it. I am worried about Anne, though. She must be all right or Mrs. Jenkinson would have said something, would she not?"

"You do not have to pretend to grief you do not feel, Georgie," Elizabeth told her soothingly. "You are probably right about your cousin. The note was clear that it was your aunt who confronted Lord Willoughby and his men. You have said your cousin is often ill. She was probably safe in her room."

"You know your brother and Richard will do everything they can to protect her," I told Georgiana. "They care deeply about their family. Even if they did not particularly like your aunt, I expect they will both be kicking themselves for not being there to protect her from Lord Willoughby."

"Yes," said Mr. Bennet, "those two young men carry the world on their shoulders. They will get in there and fix whatever needs fixing. I am also certain they will come back safely. They both have good reasons to be sure they do."

"Do you think there is much danger," Jane asked.

"It sounds like there might be. That is why the Colonel is taking a group of men with him. He is smart and will go in with a plan. I do wonder about Collins, though. I wonder if they knew him or of him when they arrived. Mrs. Jenkinson wrote that he was evicted, but he may not have been seen for other reasons. As Georgiana says, I would be sorry if he had been killed, but I would not grieve for him."

"Papa!" Jane said in surprise.

"I only speak the truth, my dear. He is an unpleasant and stupid man. The world might be the better for his loss."

Jane shook her head sadly, but did not argue the point.

"Darcy knows the estate inside and out," Mr. Bingley said. "He has inspected it every year and worked with all the locals and tenants to keep it running properly. He will know where to hide and who to contact and the local people will help him and the colonel take the invaders into custody."

"I agree with you, son." Mr. Bennet replied. "They should be back in a few days with the full tale for us. Lizzy, would you feel better staying here while your husband is gone? There is room for you, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley."

"Thank you, Papa, but we should be fine at the dower house. It is home for the moment and we have Mrs. Evans and several other trusted servants to keep us safe. I would probably worry more if I were here."

"As you wish. Just please use caution."

We all lapsed into silence for a time. I missed Richard already. I had missed him from the moment he stepped away from our last kiss. I suddenly had an idea that might make me feel a little better.

"Elizabeth, would you join me for a little while?" I asked.

She looked confused, but agreed. We stepped out into the hall together and I asked her. "How would you feel about playing a game of ball with Teddy?"

She looked at me in surprise and then smiled. "What an excellent idea. I think we should go find him and see if he is willing to play with two girls."

"I do not throw very well yet," I warned her, "but he made some progress with my training on Friday."

"I have a fairly good throwing arm," she said with a grin, "but I am not always so good at catching."

We were directed by Mrs. Hill to the stables where we found Teddy petting the horses. He smiled broadly when he saw us. "Miss Lizzy, I mean Mrs. Darcy! And Miss York! Did you need me to run an errand?"

"We did need your help, although not by running an errand," I said. "Mr. Darcy and the colonel had to go do some dangerous work and Mrs. Darcy and I are feeling rather sad about it. We wondered if you would be willing to cheer us up with a game of ball?"

"Both of you?" he asked.

"Both of us," said Elizabeth.

"And it would really cheer you up?"

"Yes, it would," she said. I nodded my agreement.

"I will get my ball and meet you in the side yard!" he quickly ran off.

"I feel a little more cheerful already," said Elizabeth.

"I know all the servants look after him," I said, "but I think he may be lonely. We will not be the only ones cheered up by this game."

We met Teddy in the yard and started tossing the ball back and forth.

"Did Mr. Darcy and the colonel have to leave because of the express messenger?" Teddy asked us.

"They had to leave because of the message he carried," Elizabeth answered.

Teddy threw the ball to me and said, "I meant that."

"They had word from Kent that Lord Willoughby had brought some men who caused trouble at their aunt's estate. They went with some of the colonel's men to catch the bad men and fix the trouble they caused."

He nodded his understanding. "I was disappointed the colonel did not ride his big black horse today. I wanted to feed the horse a carrot and thank him for keeping you safe." He caught my toss and threw the ball to Elizabeth.

"You will have your chance to thank the horse," I said. "The colonel will be back and will bring Old Satan with him."

We played for a while, with both Elizabeth and I receiving tips on catching or throwing better. Eventually Mrs. Hill came out and told us the rest of the family was wondering where we were and we should probably go back inside. We thanked Teddy for the game and left. All three of us definitely felt better.

0o0o0o0

I was working with Kitty at the pianoforte Monday morning when Mrs. Hill came to the music room and told me Lieutenant Andrews was at the door and had asked to speak with me.

"He said he could only stop for a few moments, so he would stay outside with his horse. He hoped you would be so kind as to come out."

I instructed Kitty to keep on with her playing and went to see what the Lieutenant had to say. I hoped it was not bad news. I stepped outside to find the lieutenant standing next to his horse as he had said.

"Good morning, Lieutenant."

"A good morning to you too, Miss York. Thank you for coming out. I need to return to the camp quickly, so I did not want to come inside."

"I quite understand. How may I assist?"

"I have a package for you from Colonel Fitzwilliam. He was most particular I get it to you this morning and that I deliver it to you in person." He pulled a small, soft-looking package from a saddle bag and handed it to me.

"Thank you. I will let the colonel know you were true to your task when I see him next."

"I appreciate that, Miss York. And congratulations on your engagement. You have made the colonel very happy." He mounted his horse and with a nod he rode off.

The package appeared to be wrapped in a handkerchief and tied with twine. I untied it and opened the wrapping to find a sock and a letter. I was laughing while I read:

 _Dearest Sophia,_

 _I will not tell you to stop worrying, although I know you are. I would worry no matter what anyone said if our tasks were reversed. You said you find your knitting relaxing. It looked as if you were just about finished with that stocking, so here is my sample if you would find comfort from your worry while knitting the socks for me._

 _I love you, my dear. Stay safe and be well._

 _Your Richard_

He was right. I had finished that stocking before bed the previous evening and had been wondering what to start next. I now had a pattern and a project. I also had just the right wool for it up in my room. I returned to sit with Kitty and her music, still laughing over Richard's special delivery.


	50. Chapter 50

I found the routine of our daily lessons very comforting that week. I also took great comfort in my knitting, much as Richard had intended. I read his note over and over and had to laugh each time. I appreciated his thought and his expression of love. I also saw the hidden humor in the package he had sent. Some men sent flowers, some sent jewels or other gifts, my love sent me a sock. At least it was a clean one. I wondered if Lieutenant Andrews had known what was in that package. I was not about to ask him and possibly embarrass Richard on his return, but I did wonder.

On Tuesday a messenger brought letters for Elizabeth and me. They had both been delivered to the dower house in one package and Elizabeth brought mine to Longbourn. She told us that her husband wrote to assure us they both were safe and with the help of Richard's men and a group of local men they had captured all the smugglers currently at the parsonage. He said the rest of the situation was more complex than should be expressed in a letter and they might not be back until the following week because it would take some time to resolve. He assured her there was no danger.

She handed me my letter. "Please read yours and see if Richard says anything more."

I opened my letter and read:

 _Dearest Sophia,_

 _I miss you more than words can tell._

 _We are here. We are safe. We rode hard and arrived before dark. As Will and I hoped, there were several local men who were quite fed up with the invaders but feared for their families if they struck back on their own. With the addition of my men and a good plan we were able to surround the parsonage and take all the inhabitants prisoner with only a few minor injuries on our side. Before you worry, dearest, neither Will nor I were among those hurt._

 _We confirmed with the locals that we had captured all the men they had seen, with the exception of Willoughby, of course. We sent for help from London and then set off to Rosings Park to learn the situation there. There is good news and bad, but they are so intertwined and complex that they truly must be explained in person. There is also much to unravel. It will take time, unfortunately._

 _We will not be back by Sunday. I will miss sitting next to you at church this week or watching you knit after luncheon. Rest assured I will be back as soon as I may._

 _I sent you a package before leaving, to be delivered by Andrews on Monday morning. I threatened to cancel his wedding if he did not deliver it promptly, so I know you must have received it. Perhaps it was a silly thing to send but I hope you did not mind._

 _I love you dearest. Be well. Stay safe._

 _Your Richard_

I did not read my letter out loud just as Elizabeth had not read hers aloud. The words were for me alone. I did tell them the tiny differences between what he wrote and what Elizabeth had told us. It seemed we would have to wait to hear full story. They were safe. That was what mattered. They were safe.

0o0o0o0

The Lucas ladies visited Wednesday afternoon as was their usual habit. Charlotte was to be married one week from Friday and she wanted to tell us how the plans were going for the wedding and about the lodgings the lieutenant had arranged for them in Meryton.

"It is a small place, but we will be able to have a cook and a maid. The militia will only be in Meryton for a few more months, so he did not want a long lease or a large house. When we move to summer quarters we might find something better, although I do not want to spend much. We will live within our means and save if we can, regardless of the expectations he might have for the future."

I had forgotten that the militia would move to summer quarters in May or June. My Richard would not be leaving without me. I would insist on that.

"Is your new home in the part of the village closest to the camp?" I asked.

"Yes, that was one of Henry's requirements. He did not wish to be more than a few minutes away from the camp. He wants to be easily available if the colonel needs him."

I nodded and continued knitting away at the sock on my needles.

"Speaking of the colonel, Henry said he delivered a package on Monday morning. It must have been important because the colonel teasingly threatened to cancel our wedding if it was not delivered straight into your hands. What did he send you?"

I smiled. She had answered my question. The lieutenant had no clue.

"It was a small personal gift to help reassure me while he is gone and included a letter."

"And this gift was?" she pressed.

"Private. It would not be fair to Richard to tell without his permission."

"My, my," she said with a laugh. "Very well, I will not press. Is that a man's sock you are knitting?"

"Yes. Richard mentioned he had not had a pair of socks knitted especially for him since his aunt, Mr. Darcy's mother, had passed away. I plan to remedy that lack."

"I am sure he will appreciate it. Have you heard from him? Will they be back from Kent in time for my wedding? Henry respects the colonel and wants him to be there."

"He and Mr. Darcy sent a messenger yesterday. They are safe and have captured the smugglers, but the situation at Rosings Park is apparently complex. Neither of them was willing to write more about it. They will not be back by Sunday, but hope to be back early next week. Since your wedding is not until that Friday we can hope they will make it."

"I do hope so. For your sake as well. On a lighter note, Henry says the men are missing having the big black horse for their riding practice."

"What happened to Old Satan?" I was concerned. Had he run away?

"Why the colonel took him."

"He did what? But he said he was not going to ride Old Satan."

"He must have changed his mind. Henry said the colonel is the only one who seems able to ride the horse for any distance. What would be the problem?"

"I am just surprised. Richard told Mr. Darcy he would not take him because Old Satan has a tendency to go where he wants, not necessarily where his rider wants. I do not think he is dangerous. In fact I rather like him, especially since he helped me and Grace escape from Lord Willoughby. I am sure all will be well."

Now I had something new to wonder about. What changed Richard's mind? He was safe. I knew that. I would just have to wait until he returned and could tell me all about it.

0o0o0o0

On Saturday the Darcy ladies came for a visit. Elizabeth brought another letter for me from Richard.

"Nothing new to report," she told us. "Will just says they are hoping to have everything settled so they can return on Monday or Tuesday. Not a word about what is keeping them."

I opened my letter. No, nothing new. I still smiled as I read it.

 _Dearest Sophia,_

 _How I long to see you again. I know it has only been days, but it feels like months have gone by since I last kissed you. We are still safe. Be assured of that._

 _The business that keeps us here cannot be fully resolved this week, but we hope to have enough fixes put in place that we can return to Meryton on Monday or Tuesday and deal with the rest by post until a better solution can be found. I will not stay here a moment longer than I must._

 _I hope you are occupied with lessons for your sister, Kitty and Lydia and that your knitting continues to relax you when you start to worry. I look forward to seeing what progress you have made. I have no idea how long it takes to make one sock, let alone two. Will you tell me when I return?_

 _I love you, my dear. I long to hear your voice and see your smile. Be well. Be safe._

 _Your Richard_

I was gaining a nice collection of these love notes. They may not say much of what he was doing, but what they did say melted my heart. I hoped he would return on Monday, not Tuesday. I wished he would walk through the door right now.

Elizabeth appeared to be missing Mr. Darcy just as much. She looked tired and a little weepy.

"Is there any further news?" she asked me when I looked up.

"No. Same as yours. They are putting short term fixes for whatever it is in place and will continue to resolve the problems by post after that and they hope to return on Monday or Tuesday."

"Oh," she huffed in frustration. "I hate this waiting. I wish I could have gone with him."

"I am sure he wishes you could have as well. But with the danger he never would have considered bringing you."

"While, of course, the danger is precisely why we both want to be there to support them."

I smiled at her and said, "Well, that...and the kisses!"

"Sophia!" she said in mock surprise, then she grinned and added, "definitely the kisses."

We both sighed. Before we could say more Mr. Bennet entered the room and asked if there was news. Elizabeth told him what we had learned.

"Not very satisfying as letter writers, are they?" he asked with amusement. I shared a glance with Elizabeth. Not satisfying as far news went, anyway. If Elizabeth's letters were anything like mine they both wrote satisfying love notes.

He looked at us both closely and added, "You two will worry yourselves to death if you keep on like this. You need some diversion. Another ball game with Teddy is probably in order. I will keep an eye on the younger set if you like." He gestured to where our four young ladies sat together. Mildred looked up from her seat next to Mrs. Bennet and nodded.

"Papa is right," said Elizabeth. "We can have a brief game if our young friend is willing."

Teddy _was_ willing and we had a short but fun game. We enjoyed chatting with him while we tossed the ball. His good cheer and positive outlook made us all feel a little better.

0o0o0o0

Perhaps Richard's note made me more aware of it, but I missed him most acutely during services the next day. I know there were all those weeks the unit did not even attend services and then the weeks when he sat with his men and left right after, but we were not engaged then. Now we were and we should be together.

I pushed aside my feeling of loss as the services began and concentrated on thankful prayers. Richard was safe. Mr. Darcy was safe. All the people I cared about here in Meryton were safe. The people of Hunsford had been freed from the control of the smugglers. I was in good health. I finally had my sister with me. We were living in a good home with good people. There was so much to _be_ thankful for, once I got started thinking about it, that it felt petty to whine, even if only in my thoughts, because Richard was not sitting by my side. All the same, I also prayed for a positive resolution to whatever problems they were dealing with accompanied by their quick return.

I reminded myself of my thankfulness frequently that afternoon. When we gathered at Longbourn for luncheon I was thankful to be surrounded by so many good people and thankful the older Bennet daughters had found such good and loving husbands. When Kitty read parts of a letter from Mary I was thankful to hear of her happiness and the fun she was having slowly redecorating the house with the help of Mrs. Gardiner. I was thankful for the kindness and friendship of the Gardiners which had led me to this position. I took a turn at the pianoforte after luncheon and was thankful for the training I had received and for the diversion the music provided. Every time I started to worry, every time I started to feel sorry for myself as I missed Richard, I reminded myself of all these things and was thankful.

It was still a very long day. I could see it in Elizabeth's eyes as well. She was trying to be brave, but she clearly missed her husband. There was something else as well, but I could not quite put my finger on it. Perhaps she was not sleeping well and it was affecting her energy and mood.

The weather had turned and it was rather gray and misty. We did not go out to play with Teddy, although I did find some time to talk with him. I truly cared about him and did not want him to think he was just a diversion. I asked about his family, but he told me he did not really remember them anymore. I added thankfulness that Mr. Bennet had taken him in and Mrs. Hill had taken care of him to my list. I knew from my own experience that Teddy was in a strange in-between place. He was not a servant, although he did serve and was given tasks to help him feel he earned his keep. He was not family, although he was cared for. His natural cheerfulness seemed to carry him through the awkwardness, but I wondered how he would do as he grew older and the distinctions became more clear. I knew he would be provided for, but would he still be happy?

0o0o0o0

All day Monday I waited and hoped. Oh, I paid attention as I worked with Kitty, Lydia and Grace on their lessons. They deserved no less from me. We practiced their French conversation. Grace already had a good grasp of the language and challenged Kitty and Lydia to learn more vocabulary. She also pushed Kitty to practice and improve on the pianoforte under the guidance of us both. They were working on a duet in addition to the solo piece and song accompaniments Kitty was learning.

We had started letter-writing practice in combination with our history lessons the previous week. Georgiana was joining in under Mildred's guidance while Elizabeth participated as well. They brought their letters when they came to visit or sent them by a messenger who brought ours back to the dower house with him. We had each picked a prominent historical figure and were using the resources of Mr. Bennet's library to research that person and then write letters to the others describing significant events in their lives or what a typical day might be. It certainly made the lessons more fun as each of the young ladies threw themselves into their characters. I was particularly pleased to see how Lydia's writing had improved.

All the same, by afternoon I found myself listening for the sounds of a visitor in the hall or checking the view out of any window that faced the drive. The soft drizzle depressed my spirits. They were on horseback, not in a carriage. I knew Richard had probably traveled through worse while campaigning on the Continent, but what about Mr. Darcy. Would he travel unprotected in the rain? As soon as the thought formed in my head I knew the answer. Of course he would, if Elizabeth and Georgiana were waiting for him. The point would be moot if they could not finish their tasks in time to travel the distance here before dark fell.

It was nearly dinner time and I had nearly given up my hopes for the day when I looked out the window one more time before starting the decrease rounds on the toe of the second sock. Through the gloom I noticed the silhouette of a man on a very large horse coming over the rise in the road towards the house. My knitting fell from my hands onto the floor as I jumped up in excitement.

"He is here! Richard is here!"

I paid no attention to the amused looks on the faces of the other occupants of the room or the confusion of Mrs. Bennet as my exclamation woke her from another doze. I ran out of the room, leaving my knitting where it fell. In a minute I was out the front door and running down the path.

"Richard!" I cried with joy.

Old Satan broke into a gallop, then pulled sharply to a stop beside me.

"Sophia!" Richard answered as he quickly dismounted. I flung myself into his arms and hugged the wet, muddy man with all the strength I possessed.

"Oh, Richard! I missed you so much!" He said nothing, just hugged me a little tighter. We stood like that for a moment until I heard the happy laughter from the open front door.

"Welcome back, Colonel!" called Mr. Bennet. "Perhaps you two could come in from the rain now?"

We stepped apart and I realized I was now almost as wet and muddy as he was. Teddy came running up.

"Can I take the horse to the stable for you?" he asked eagerly. "I have a carrot for him. I have been saving it to thank him for helping Miss York and her sister."

Richard patted the horse's neck. "What do say, lad? Will you let Teddy take you to the stable and give you a carrot while the grooms rub you down?" The horse gave a snort and took a step towards Teddy.

Richard tossed the boy the reins, then said, "Whoa, wait a minute." He unhooked his saddle bags from the back of the saddle and draped them over his shoulder. He gave the horse a pat on the back. "There you go. Off to the stable with you." We could both see one of the grooms at the stable door waiting to take over once Teddy got there.

"We are glad you are back, Colonel," Teddy said as he walked away with the horse following slowly behind him.

"I am glad I am back as well," Richard said with a laugh.

We heard Teddy talking to Old Satan on the way to the stable. "You deserve a treat. Thank you for helping Miss Lizzy and Miss Darcy and Miss York and Miss Grace..."

"Well, good thing I have a clean change of clothes in this bag and you have the same upstairs. We are quite the sight." With a soft laugh Richard draped an arm around my shoulder and we walked together to join the group gathered in the warmly lit hall beyond the open front door of Longbourn.

* * *

AN: Finally, he is back. In the next chapter we get some answers! Barring any unforeseen complications I should be able to post it today. As always, thank you for reading.


	51. Chapter 51

As we walked inside the group parted for us while welcoming Richard excitedly. He saw Mrs. Bennet peering out the drawing room door and asked, "I hope I have arrived in time for dinner, Mrs. Bennet, assuming your invitation is still open?"

"You are still welcome, Colonel, but not dressed like that. Heavens! The mud on you both! Do you have extra clothes in those bags of yours?"

"Yes, Ma'am, clean and dry. Wrapped in oilcloth for protection."

She nodded. "Miss York, go to your room and get cleaned up. He will still be here when you come back down."

I nodded sheepishly, feeling like a little girl being chastised in front of all the company. Richard squeezed my shoulder then let me go and I headed up the stairs. Behind me I heard Mrs. Bennet telling Mrs. Hill to escort the colonel to a guest room and bring him some hot water to wash in. At the top of the stairs I turned back to see Richard struggling to hold in his laughter as Mrs. Bennet ordered him to make sure he got himself completely cleaned up before he returned to the drawing room. When I caught his eye I gave him my brightest smile. As I turned away again I heard Mrs. Bennet tell him to take off his boots there in the entry before he tromped any more mud inside. I was struggling to hold in my own laughter as I went to my room to change.

I returned to the drawing room a little before Richard did. I had time to pick up my knitting, untangle the wool and return the three dropped stitches to the needles before he came in, clean and freshly dressed.

"That is much better," Mrs. Bennet said with satisfaction as she viewed him from her favorite chair. "Welcome back, young man. We have all been missing you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bennet," he said, stooping to place a quick kiss on her cheek as he passed her on his way to sit next to me. I received a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Colonel!" said Mr. Bennet warningly. "We have discussed your habits before. Do I need to take you out behind the woodshed and teach you better manners?"

"But that would only leave us both wet and muddy! I've only just dried off!" Richard answered with a grin. "Besides Darcy and Bingley said my habits were just fine."

We all laughed.

"Well, I suppose I can let it pass this time, if you will only _tell us_ what happened in Kent!" Mr. Bennet replied.

"It is a long story," Richard said, "and I get the feeling dinner is about to be served..."

Mrs. Hill entered just then to tell us dinner was ready. She did seem too surprised by the laughter her announcement caused.

As we stood to go to the dining room Mr. Bennet said, "You have a reprieve for now, but _after_ dinner you _will tell all_!"

"Agreed, sir," Richard answered as I took his arm for the brief trip to the dining room.

We all did a fairly good job holding in our curiosity through the meal once he assured us that Mr. Darcy had also come back and they only parted ways where the road turned to the dower house. There was one question I just had to ask.

"Richard, when you left here you specifically stated you would not be taking Old Satan. Yet you come back riding him. What happened?"

"Ah, that. It is true I had planned to take the same horse I had ridden here that day. He lost a shoe just before I reached the camp. When I checked him I found he had another one loose. I did not want to wait around while he was re-shod, so I decided to try Old Satan for the trip. Will questioned my sanity when he joined us, but it turned out well. The horse has good endurance and made no fuss about staying with the rest of the group. He likes a long hard ride and he got one."

"Last week Charlotte mentioned a comment Lieutenant Andrews had made to her that the men were missing their hazardous riding instructor. I have been wondering why you took him ever since."

"I hope it did not worry you."

"No more than anything else. You seem to have developed a bond with the horse and I hoped all would be well."

He turned the subject from his trip with questions about Charlotte's wedding plans and whether the lieutenant had been able to lease the house he wanted. We stayed off the subject of his trip for the rest of the meal, but I noticed everyone ate fairly quickly. We would not allow him to keep us in suspense much longer.

As the meal came to a close Mr. Bennet poured glasses of port for himself and Richard which they both carried with them into the drawing room. We settled into our seats and Richard took a few sips of his drink while everyone watched him. He set his glass down on the occasional table nearest the sofa on which we sat and looked around in silence.

We waited.

Lydia broke first. "Colonel!" she said in exasperation. "What happened?"

He laughed. "Oh, very well," he said. "I will not keep you in suspense any longer. But where, really, to start?" He looked thoughtful.

"Is Miss De Bourgh safe?" Kitty asked, "Georgie has been very worried about her."

Richard nodded with a sober look. "Yes, Anne. She is probably the best place to start." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I suppose you are all aware that my cousin, Anne, has been very sickly all her life?" We nodded.

"She would sometimes improve for a little while, but she is subject to fevers and I have never been very confident about the skill of the physicians my aunt has employed to treat her. I was concerned, but not really surprised when I was told she was too ill to see me the last time I visited. Mrs. Jenkinson has truly been more Anne's nurse than her companion and she, at least, has always taken good care of my cousin."

He stopped for another sip of the port, then looked around at all of us before continuing. "Most of what we know about the happenings at Rosings comes from Mrs. Jenkinson. She made it safely back after sneaking out to engage the express rider. We learned she has wanted to contact me for some time, but she had obligations to Lady Catherine and did not feel free to go against her orders until after my aunt's death. I will get to that. Back to Anne..."

He took another sip. "Of course you remember the evening last November when Lady Catherine came to Longbourn to try and break Elizabeth's engagement with Will."

"I should say so!" Mrs. Bennet huffed. "Insulting us in our own home! We sent her off right and proper. And that Collins too!"

"You did, indeed," Richard agreed. "My aunt headed off to London to complain to my father and we know what followed there. A day later she returned to Rosings, dropping Mr. Collins at the parsonage on the way. She entered Rosings to learn that Anne had taken severely ill while she was gone and had passed away a few minutes before she arrived."

"She is dead! And has been all these months!" Kitty said in anguish. "Oh, Georgiana will be so upset!"

He sighed. "Yes, she will. That is why Will is telling them there at home instead of bringing them here so we could tell everyone at once. He and Elizabeth will look after Georgie and comfort her. I trust you will help her when you see her next as well?"

Kitty, Lydia and Grace all assured him they would comfort Georgiana in every way they could.

"Good. She will need you." I took his left hand in mind and squeezed it gently. I could tell he still felt guilty for not being able to save his cousin. He twined his fingers with mine and we held hands through the rest of his story.

"Aunt Catherine had reasons for not wanting news of Anne's death to get out. I will come to those later. At any rate, she ordered the household to maintain complete silence on the matter. She did not trust Collins to keep his mouth shut, so she sent him on a wild goose chase back here to Longbourn, giving him that blonde wig and a new suit of colorful clothing. She had no expectation that he would succeed in kidnapping Elizabeth or stopping the wedding. She just wanted him out of the way so Anne could be buried in the family crypt without his knowledge."

"How terrible," said Mrs. Bennet. "Burying her daughter in secret. Putting my daughter in danger. I am not sorry the woman is dead, even if she is your aunt, Colonel."

"I am not very sorry about it myself, Mrs. Bennet," he said ruefully. "She certainly had a knack for causing trouble. Since she never expected Collins to succeed she was not very surprised when we brought him back with news of his failure. Her main goal at that point was to get the duke and me out of Rosings before anyone could let slip the news of Anne's death. I knew something was wrong with her manner, I just never suspected that."

I patted our joined hands with my free one. He looked at me sadly and sighed. "Once we dealt with Collins there was really no reason to bother ourselves with her. The situation with my father and brother blew up and then the smuggling ring and Forster's death. It has been one thing after another and neither Will nor I checked back on Anne or Aunt Catherine. There is nothing we could have done to help Anne, but we both feel bad that we did not even know."

"Remember what you just said, Colonel," Mr. Bennet advised. "There _is nothing_ you could have done. You cousin was already gone before you could ever have taken steps to help her."

Richard nodded. He took another sip of the port, then set the glass down.

"As Mrs. Jenkinson told us in the express letters, Lord Willoughby and a group of men arrived shortly after my investigators lost track of him near Hythe. Willoughby visited my aunt by himself the first time. When he became offensive in his demands for money her footmen tossed him out like the refuse he was. One of his men knew Collins and that he held the living at Hunsford. The whole group decided to pay a call and gain a base of operations. They did evict him in a manner of speaking, although he went no further than the garden. I am afraid you have lost a cousin through this situation as well," he said to Mr. Bennet.

"When we discussed this possibility after you and Darcy left I told the girls that while I would be sorry he had died, I saw no point in grieving for him. Do, please, continue."

Richard shrugged a little. "They took the parsonage for their own. From that location some of them could keep an eye on Rosings while others went out to complete further schemes. Hampton was one of them. He happened to have some connections who told him about the property Mrs. Marshall kept at Grace's school. He knew the nephew and prompted some of the gang to get close to him. It was coincidence that Grace was at the same school they targeted. We found some items with Mrs. Marshall's name on them at the parsonage. They had sold more, using some of Hampton's contacts. He was one of those we captured, by the way."

"That is good to know,' said Mr. Bennet. "I have worried he might target Darcy."

"No chance of that now. We rounded them all up that first night we arrived. The local men had been making their own plans, but they were afraid for their families. My forces tipped the balance and Will's knowledge of the area gave us success. My men kept guard over them until a unit from London could come collect them. While they were in my custody I had a chance to question them and received many answers to problems that have come up during my investigation of the smuggling operation."

He stopped for a moment and turned to me. He gave a quick smile, then went back to his narrative.

"I mentioned that Lady Catherine had her reasons for hiding news of Anne's death. Mrs. Jenkinson revealed them. Neither Will nor I had ever seen Sir Lewis De Bourgh's will. My father helped Aunt Catherine settle matters on her husband's death. She had all the documents hidden away in a secret safe, but Mrs. Jenkinson knew about it, as well as a secret vault in the wine cellars. Aunt Catherine had no claim to Rosings at all under the terms of her husband's will. Anne had inherited everything on her father's death and she should have been under the guardianship of Uncle George, Will's father, until she reached the age of 21, four years ago. Sir Lewis was good friends with Uncle George and I remember him visiting while I stayed at Pemberley after my mother died. We got along well and I was sorry when he passed away a few years later. Apparently he liked me as well, for his will stipulated that if Anne died unmarried I would inherit Rosings Park and all the associated lands and funds."

That news dropped into the room like shot from a cannon. The explosion of questions was the shrapnel flying around us.

" _You_ own Rosings?"

"Lady Catherine was cheating her own daughter?"

"Why did no one else know?"

"Why would your father hide that news? Did he think you would still not give him money?"

"Why would she insist your cousin marry Will?"

I sat silently next to Richard through all the questions. He waited in equal silence while the commotion died down. Soon everyone was silent, waiting. Richard took a sip of the port, then spoke again.

"Yes, I have owned Rosings, all unaware, since last November. My aunt would have been happy enough if I had returned to the Continent to be killed and never have known." He puffed out a frustrated breath.

"She wanted Will to marry Anne because they would have returned to Pemberley leaving Aunt Catherine in control of the estate. Will would probably have accepted her word that Rosings was hers for the rest of her life and only taken whatever funds Aunt Catherine designated as Anne's dowry. After all, Sir Lewis' will had already been executed as far as he knew. He would have gone each Easter to check on the estate and help with the books, never realizing the property was all Anne's." He huffed another breath.

"My father would not have let me in on the news of the inheritance because he could not control me. While Aunt Catherine was in charge, he was receiving payments from her to keep quiet. If Anne married anyone other than Will there would be questions asked and he would lose that little allowance."

"So he would not have steered Willoughby towards Anne like he had tried to match him with Georgiana?" Mr. Bennet asked.

"He stood to lose too much if Anne married Willoughby. Mrs. Jenkinson confirmed that my father contacted Aunt Catherine before he left the country with instructions to forward his allowance to him in Digby, Nova Scotia. Whether he intends to settle in Digby or not, it is a good port town to head for. I do not know if Aunt Catherine would have continued paying him. Once he left the country he was no longer a threat to her."

"So it is fairly certain he and your brother have gone."

"I believe so. According to Mrs. Jenkinson, my aunt has also been preparing in case someone _did_ find out about Anne's inheritance. Aunt Catherine regularly drew funds out of the estate accounts and hid them in that secret vault I mentioned. Will had noticed some irregularities in the books, but she always had a story to cover them. Willoughby's men stole a few expensive trinkets and did a little damage to the decor, although as hideous as that place was they may have actually improved the look. They never found the safe in the study or the vault in the cellar. The men tried to pressure some of the servants to tell them where the money was, but they were asking the wrong servants. Mrs. Jenkinson was the one who knew and she went into hiding in the attics. Willoughby also tried to find Anne but was told she had been taken to a physician for treatment. I think he figured out she was dead which is why he came here to try for a ransom." He squeezed my hand and I leaned my head lightly against his shoulder.

"So are you Sir Richard now?" Lydia asked.

Richard laughed. "No, Lydia. I escaped that fate. Sir Lewis could not pass the baronetcy on to me, just the lands and funds. Fortunately the estate was not entailed so he could will it where he pleased."

"But you and my sister can marry now and you will have plenty of money and a place to live?"

"Yes, Grace. You and Sophia and I will all have Rosings Park to live in and a fair amount of money to live on. Although I am afraid the house might scare you. My aunt had very poor taste in decoration despite her constant declarations to the contrary. I have gone with Will to help look after the books every Easter I was not stationed out of the country, but I have always disliked being in that house." He shuddered a bit.

"We do not _have_ to live there, do we?" I asked him.

"Not necessarily, but we do have a responsibility to the tenants and the businesses in the area. Even though I never thought to own an estate, Uncle George must have had some idea of Sir Lewis' intent. He made sure I knew the responsibilities that came with the privilege of land ownership and Will had continued that education. No matter what suggestions Will made, Aunt Catherine was never willing to properly care for the land or the people. To do the work that needs to be done and restore it, we should live there."

"When will you resign your commission?" Mr. Bennet asked.

"I still have a responsibility to the unit and need to finish getting them reorganized and in good working order. I will resign my commission before the unit moves to summer quarters. How much before will depend on the progress we make."

"A June wedding, then," said Mrs. Bennet. "That will give us plenty of time to plan. I wonder if Jane and Charles will let us use Netherfield for the wedding breakfast?"

Richard and I both laughed, as did Mr. Bennet. "Do you intend to plan our wedding and breakfast, Mrs. Bennet?" Richard asked.

"Of course I do," she said indignantly. "Besides, Kitty, Lydia and Grace will do most of the planning. I will guide them."

The three young ladies cheered. "How fun!" cried Lydia. "We get to plan another wedding breakfast! We can use more flowers in June, not just ribbons!"

Richard turned to me with a bemused look. I shrugged slightly. "Who are we to impede their educations. After all, _I_ am the one who suggested they learn how to plan events from Mrs. Bennet."

"You are popular here in Meryton, Colonel," said Mrs. Bennet. "Everyone will want to help you celebrate. We need to have an event to make sure they can."

Mr. Bennet chuckled, "Do not fight it, son. She has made up her mind."

"As you wish," said Richard to Mrs. Bennet, still looking a little stunned.

"Is it the estate business that kept you at Rosings?" I asked.

He shook his head like a dog shakes off water, letting go his earlier thoughts. "Oh, yes, although it was a combination of both the estate and the smugglers. We had to wait for word back from my superiors on what to do with the men we captured. Will's solicitor also traveled from London to go over the documents regarding the estate and my uncle's will. There are still a few legal issues to be worked out before I fully take possession, but that is the part that can be done by post. Aunt Catherine had been quietly buried in the crypt next to Anne, but we had the curate give a memorial service for them both. Will notified Bishop Parkhurst of Collins' death and that of Lady Catherine. I will probably be making the next appointment for the living. Unless Bishop Parkhurst has an objection I think the curate who has been looking after the people of Hunsford deserves it."

"That sounds only fair," said Mr. Bennet.

"He seems a pleasant and intelligent man. I understand he is hoping to marry but did not have the funds. The living would give him the security he needs."

I nodded in agreement. "It does sound fair," I told him.

He smiled at me. "Were there any more questions?" he asked the room in general.

"We will probably think of more later," said Kitty after looking around. "I suppose we are good for now."

Richard let out a heavy sigh. "That is a relief!" he told us all, prompting a round of laughter.


	52. Chapter 52

Even though Richard had answered all the questions, we were not really done talking over the events at Hunsford and Rosings. Richard and I sat together and listened while the others discussed the bits of the story they found most interesting, only speaking up if asked a direct question.

Finally Richard quietly asked, "How are my socks coming along. Does it take long to knit one?"

"I have had a great deal of knitting time this week. One is done and the other nearly so. I could finish it this evening, only I seem to be short one hand." I squeezed his hand, which still gripped mine.

"Well that is a dilemma," he said with a wink. He lifted my hand and kissed it, then let go. "I love holding your hand, but I would like to sit and watch you as you finish up if you have no objection."

"None at all." I took the nearly finished sock from the workbasket sitting under the sofa on which we sat. I also pulled the first sock I had completed out and handed it to him, along with the one he had sent as a pattern. He compared the two, examining the stitches and feeling the texture.

"I like the one you made better," he said. "It feels softer and I like the shape of the heel better."

"I could see this one has been mended a few times. The heel of the new sock should not wear out as quickly. I have used a tighter stitch and the shape will make it less likely to rub, which causes the wear."

"Hmm. Where are you at with that one?'

"You see how the toe of the one in your hand curves in to fit your foot? That is what I am doing here." I set to knitting and he quietly watched me. Occasionally he would pat the finished sock he held. He almost jumped when Lydia asked, "Why are you holding a sock, Colonel?"

"Sophia made this for me," he said a little indignantly. "She is just finishing up the second one."

"Miss York is teaching us to make stockings. I had only done very plain knitting before, but she showed me how to make patterns that look like lace."

"I am learning to turn the heel on the stockings I am knitting," Kitty added.

"Sophia made me a lovely green pair of stockings. They make me happy when I wear them," Grace said. I rewarded her with a smile, but kept knitting. I only had a few more rounds to go before I could graft the toe, weave in the ends and hand Richard a completed sock.

"I expect these will make _me_ happy when I wear them," Richard said. He patted the finished sock again. "It is just not the same when you buy something. These have love knitted into them. That is what my Aunt Anne said when she made socks for me."

"Very true," said Mrs. Bennet. "Your aunt sounds like a wise woman."

"She was. I still sometimes have trouble believing she was truly related to my father and Aunt Catherine. Of course, I would rather not be related to my brother and hope I am nothing like him either."

Mrs. Bennet nodded. "Most people wonder how my brother Edward can be related to my sister and me. We have always been different and not just because he was the boy. Families can be strange that way."

Lydia laughed. "We learned about that in our cooking class with Mrs. Evans."

I smiled, but Richard was confused. "What connection is there between cooking and different personalities in families?"

"Mrs. Evans showed us how you can take the same three ingredients – flour, sugar and butter – and depending on whether the butter was cold, soft or melted when you mix it with the other two, the biscuit you bake with the dough comes out different. Families are like that. We start with the same ingredients, but everyone is mixed up and baked a little differently."

Richard turned to me. "I did not realize you were teaching philosophy as well."

"We take the lessons as we find them."

"What does philosophy mean?" Lydia asked.

Mr. Bennet answered, "It is from the Greek philosophia, meaning love of wisdom. A philosopher could be someone who studies or comes up with ideas about why five girls who all have the same mother and father and grow up in the same house turn out very differently. Using an example like the way the state of the butter changes the biscuits is a tool a philosopher would use."

"My father said Sophia means wisdom." Grace offered.

"Then _I_ am certainly a philosopher," Richard said with a smirk, "because I love Sophia."

I am sure my cheeks were deep red with embarrassment, especially when everyone laughed. I kept my eyes down and focused on the stitches I was grafting together. Richard noticed my silence and the blush and quietly said, "Forgive me, dearest. I did _not_ intend to embarrass you."

I kept my eyes on my stitching, making sure the graft was firm and neat so it would not make a ridge against his toes. After a moment of waiting Richard uncertainly said, "Sophia? Are upset with me?"

I finished the graft and began to weave in the ends of my wool. "No, Richard. I am not upset. I am embarrassed, but I was also at a point that required concentration."

"What are you doing with the sock now?"

"It is all knitted and I am weaving in the ends. There. Let me just cut the wool here and your second sock is complete." I snipped the tail of wool and handed him his second sock.

He patted the new sock, then held them both up. "My socks!" he declared joyfully, sparking another round of laughter.

"Very nice, philosopher," teased Mr. Bennet. "I remember the first pair of socks Mrs. Bennet made for me. I wore them until even the darns had darns in them and they fell to pieces. Nothing has ever kept my feet warmer than that pair of socks."

It was Mrs. Bennet's turn to blush and she did, right to the roots of her pale blond hair. "Oh, Mr. Bennet!" she said fussily.

All too soon Richard declared he needed to be on his way back to camp. I gave him the handkerchief he had wrapped the sample sock in and he carefully folded the new socks, then wrapped the old one around them followed by the handkerchief. I even had his twine there, which he used to tie it all together. He patted the bundle happily.

"May I have a few moments to speak with Sophia in privacy?" he asked.

"You do not want to _speak_ with her," Mr. Bennet said, prompting a grin and a shrug. "You know where the back parlor is. No more than 5 minutes." He took out his watch and tapped it meaningfully. Kitty, Lydia and Grace all giggled quietly.

Richard pulled me up from my seat and out into the hall. The back parlor was too far for him. He turned into the music room and drew me close for a good, long kiss. It was still not long enough before we heard the voice of Mr. Bennet through the closed door to the drawing room.

"Colonel! Time is up."

Richard pulled away slightly, answered, "Yes, sir." Then he leaned back in and gave me another quick kiss before we returned to the drawing room. Mrs. Hill was in the hall.

"Shall I have your horse readied and your saddlebags brought down, Colonel?"

He nodded, "Yes, I must return to camp. Thank you."

Richard collected his sock-filled bundle from where he had left it on the sofa. At the door the servant helped him into his greatcoat, which had been dried by the kitchen fire and brushed clean. We were all a little surprised when Teddy accompanied the groom who brought Old Satan around to the front door.

"Teddy? You should be in bed," Richard said.

Teddy smiled at him. "I will be soon. After dinner I went out to talk to your horse some more and give him half an apple. We are friends."

"I can see that. Well, off to bed with you now." Richard ruffled his hair. He took a step forward and then turned back to give me another quick kiss on the check before he fastened his saddlebags behind the saddle and mounted in preparation to leave.

"I will be back soon," he said before riding off.

I would count on that. It came to me that I still had a quite a bit of the soft green wool. Perhaps Richard would like a pair of green socks as well. They would be hidden in his boots and only he would know their color. Smiling, I went up to get the ball of wool. There was still a little time to knit this evening.

0o0o0o0

Elizabeth, Georgiana and Mildred walked over from the dower house Tuesday afternoon accompanied by Abner, the imposing groom from Darcy house. The rain had stopped in the night and things had pretty much dried out by that time.

Georgiana was immediately taken in charge by Grace, Kitty and Lydia. They were making good on their promise to support her any way they could in the matter of Anne's death.

"Will has gone to talk to Charles," Elizabeth told me. "I needed a walk and he said it would be fine now as long as Abner came with us to scare off any lurking villains."

"I am not sure we have any villains left to lurk around here. None that we know of, at least." Mildred noted.

"That is probably why he said it would be fine," she answered with a grin. She then indicated the younger set. "From the way they are gathered around her it looks like Richard told you all the news from Rosings"

"Yes, we had a long discussion yesterday after dinner."

"How do you feel about becoming the Mistress of Rosings Park?"

"Conflicted. I would have accepted him with nothing. You know that. I do not mind knowing we will have enough to live in comfort and support any children that come along. However, I had the impression that Richard does not _like_ Rosings Park. It makes him very uncomfortable. How can we live happily in a house that has all those difficult memories?"

"You will have to make new memories there," Mildred told me. "You will have money to redecorate, it seems. Mr. Darcy told us about the vault in the wine cellar. Change the look of the place enough that it does not spark the memories, then set about filling that house with love."

"From what Will says you will not really need to buy anything new, you will just need to cart off all the gaudy furniture and ornaments to make it look like a new place. Will admits the house makes him uncomfortable as well, but he says that is more about memories of his aunt than anything to do with the house itself."

"I offered the option of living somewhere else, but Richard insists we must be there, on the spot, in order to help restore the estate to the proper condition and support the tenants and villagers."

"I know that is true here at Longbourn. I expect it was true at your father's home as well. The estate employs the family members of the tenants and supports the local tradesmen. That gives the families money to spend in the village. I know it is always felt here when Netherfield is not occupied. The whole area welcomes a tenant of the estate even when he does not come and marry one of their daughters." We laughed at her reference to Mr. Bingley.

"I think you are both right," I said. "We _will_ have to live there and make the estate prosperous again and we will have to be sure we make many happy memories to turn it into a home our family will be proud to live in. Did Mr. Darcy tell you about Mr. Collins?"

"Yes. I think it poetic justice that they buried him in the garden after they killed him. He did so love those gardens and waxed on and on about them when he was not praising Lady Catherine to the skies."

"Will his death create a problem with the entail here at Longbourn?"

"It might, but I think we need not worry about it for a time. Uncle Gardiner is researching another possible heir. If something should happen to my father and the family loses Longbourn Will, Charles and Daniel will help look after my mother and sisters. If there is no heir we will sort it all out."

We discussed the other happenings in Kent for a while, then I noted, "Charlotte will be glad to hear the men have returned. She worried they might not be back before the wedding and Lieutenant Andrews wanted to be sure Richard was there."

"I expect she knows by now. The lieutenant would have sent a message to her yesterday evening or this morning. It just astounds me the time has passed so quickly and she is getting married this week. I am so happy for her."

"You mother is already planning for my wedding. She says a June wedding will be nice and she is hoping to borrow Netherfield for the wedding breakfast."

Elizabeth laughed. "How did that happen?"

"Your father asked when Richard planned to resign his commission. When Richard answered that it would be no later than the time the militia moves to summer quarters your mother started planning my wedding. You should have seen the look on Richard's face. It was so amusing."

"Do you mind?"

"Not really. She said that she will actually have Kitty, Lydia and Grace do the planning under her guidance. If they become too extravagant I will rein them in. Otherwise it is a good learning experience for them."

"We will be at Pemberley by then, but I am sure we will come back for the wedding. Will and Richard are too close for anything else."

"When do you plan to leave for Pemberley?"

"We really should go next week. I do not know if the situation at Rosings will delay us. Will has doubts about the current steward and he will want to find a replacement for Richard. If he thinks he can do that better with the resources in Derbyshire we may leave as early as Monday or Tuesday next."

"It will seem strange not having you close by, all of you."

"The distance will give us more reasons to have the young ladies practice their letter writing," Mildred said.

"While we practice ours," I chuckled. "Which reminds me, I owe Mary a letter. How much of this mess in Kent should I tell her?"

"Whatever you feel like. I told her the whole story in a letter I sent this morning, so you can reference my letter if you do not want to explain everything."

"I probably will gloss over some of it then. I can tell her more about my engagement and about our plans, or your mother's plans I should say."

"A June wedding?"

"Early June, I think."

"It is March now. It will go by more quickly than you think, although less quickly than you will want."

"I still do not feel quite right leaving your sisters without a governess."

"As Mama said the other day, you have put them on the right path. They do not just _act_ better in company, they understand why they _need_ to behave well. Uncle Gardiner can find someone to help them continue to gain polish and to hear their French lessons and coach them on singing and the pianoforte. You have taken care of the difficult part – you have changed the way they _think_ about the world. We will plan on having them all come out in London together next year – Georgie, Kitty, Lydia, Grace and possibly Maria Lucas as well. They will support one another in society."

"It sounds like you have a plan. I will be happy to have Grace join them. Richard has already mentioned dealing with Grace's future suitors. He told me if he was being oblivious or getting in the way like Sir William did with us then I should give him a sharp hint." We all laughed at the image.

"All will be well, Sophia," Mildred told me after the laughter quieted. "I have told you that before. You are part of a large family now, in spirit if not in fact. We will all work out the problems together."

What she said was true. It was just so different from all my life before that I still had trouble taking it in. I needed to get that letter off to Mary. I was interested to hear her perspective on all that had been happening.

* * *

 _AN: I considered holding this one back and posting it tomorrow, but then I figured what the heck. You get three chapters today. We go back to one a day tomorrow. I am also not allowed to type any more tonight. I have to finish the sock I am knitting as a Christmas present for my uncle. TTFN_


	53. Chapter 53

The rest of the week flew by before I knew it. If this was any example, Elizabeth was correct that June would come far sooner than I expected.

Richard came Thursday evening for dinner, although he could not stay very long after the meal. Teddy and Grace were both happy when he arrived on Old Satan. After the groom unsaddled the horse and put him in a stall they both went together to talk to him, scratch him under the chin and feed him a carrot or two. Grace told me later she enjoyed spending time with Teddy. His cheerfulness was contagious.

At dinner we discussed Charlotte's wedding and Mr. Darcy's planned return to Derbyshire. Richard asked to sit with me at the wedding and at the breakfast. I made him promise not to let Sir William drag him off. He told me Sir William had no power to move him now that we were engaged.

Charlotte had finally prevailed with her mother to limit the guests to a few of the local families, like the Bennets and their relations and a few of the soldiers along with Lieutenant Andrews' family. We met Mr. and Mrs. Andrews before the service. They seemed genuinely pleased to be gaining Charlotte as a daughter. The connection to Pemberley was probably a factor, but they also seemed to value her for her character. The lieutenant's older brother also came and brought his wife, who seemed pleasant enough, if a little flighty and fashion-obsessed.

Richard sat next to me as we had agreed. We settled into our seats, although we were good and did not hold hands or sit as close as we would like. This time we did not even need to converse in the short quick sentences we had used at Jane's wedding. The silence between us was comfortable.

When they met at the altar the bride and groom smiled with joy. Charlotte was simply lovely and you could see the Lieutenant thought so as well. He looked quite handsome in his uniform. His brother stood up with him and took his duties solemnly. Elizabeth stood with Charlotte and appeared as happy for her friend as she had at her own wedding. The familiar words of the ceremony rolled over us, the vows were said, the vicar pronounced the final blessing and Charlotte Andrews stood at her husband's side.

"That will be us soon." Richard whispered as the bride and groom went to sign the register. "June?"

"Early June. June 1st is a Monday."

"I like that idea. Mrs. Bennet gets her June wedding and we do not have to wait as long."

"She will want more time to plan, but we can be firm with her. June 1st is our wedding day."

Smiling he stood and offered me his arm. We left the church with the other guests and Richard handed me into the carriage for the ride to Lucas Lodge. He went on horseback and arrived just in time to be able to hand me out of the carriage as well. He offered his other arm to Grace and our little soon-to-be family walked in together.

Grace soon moved to talk with Miss Maria, who was now officially _the_ Miss Lucas. Lydia and Kitty's predictions had proven correct. Grace and Miss Maria had found several interests in common and become good friends.

I congratulated Charlotte with a hug while Richard shook hands with his lieutenant. We wished them joy and then moved away so others could do the same. Lucas Lodge could be a bit crowded. We found ourselves a spot near the Bennets and Darcys. Richard fixed me a plate and brought his own to the seat next to me. He looked at it sadly. "No biscuits," he said with a slightly sulky tone.

"I will see if I can make you some next week."

His expression brightened. "You can make them by yourself? I know Mrs. Evans will be heading to London to work for Mary soon. I thought she helped you last time."

"She helped me to make them _and_ to write all the instructions down. Mine may not be quite as good as hers, but I will do my best."

"Thank you, Sophia. I know I will love them."

Our attention was distracted by seeing both Elizabeth and her mother trying to delicately dispose of a bite of Lady Lucas' strawberry tart. The ladies had a slightly green look to them. I knew they both loved the recipe and wondered what could be wrong.

"I do not understand it," Mrs. Bennet said. "The only time I have problems eating strawberries is..." She looked down at her stomach and then at the tart. "But at my age...I thought it would take longer if at all." She looked at her daughter. "You as well, Lizzy?"

"All of a sudden I just cannot stomach the taste of the strawberries. I know I have been feeling somewhat queasy of late, but..." Elizabeth trailed off as well.

"And I have been so tired lately as well. You said the same only you thought it was because you were not walking. Have you had any other signs?"

Elizabeth looked at her mother and shrugged slightly. "Maybe?"

Lydia, who had been sitting near by, said, "What is wrong with the two of you? I have no idea what you are talking about."

Mr. Bennet laughed and patted his wife's shoulder. "Lydia," he said, "your mother has just confirmed what I have suspected for several weeks. If all goes well, around September, give or take a few weeks either side, the Bennet family will be gaining a new addition. And it seems the Darcy family will as well."

It suddenly all made sense to me. Mrs. Bennet's dozes, the more emotional behavior and now the sudden aversion to strawberries, a taste she always enjoyed. I remembered Elizabeth's weepy looks and her admission to being frequently tired. As Mr. Bennet said, there would probably be some new additions to the families later this year. A man who had been through this with his wife five times before would surely recognize the signs.

Richard nudged me. "Is he saying what I think he is saying? Will and Elizabeth might be parents by September? And the Bennets as well?"

"That is exactly what he is saying."

"Whew! And if they are lucky it is a boy and Collin does not matter, dead or alive. He mentioned hoping for this event after the incident with Collins in December. He asked that if he and Mrs. Bennet had another child, girl or boy, Will and Elizabeth would see to the child's well-being if Mr. Bennet did not live long enough for it to reach adulthood."

"That would be a concern for an older parent. I am sure Mr. Darcy agreed immediately."

"He did. I know Bingley and Burrows would do the same, but Will is particularly good at shouldering responsibilities."

"I have noticed that about him," I said with a chuckle. "Oh dear. Lydia."

"What?"

"Your parents and Elizabeth may not want the gossip spread yet. So much can go wrong, especially early on. Excuse me for a moment while I go warn Lydia and the others not to say anything until they get permission."

I got up and whispered my warnings. Lydia and Georgiana were talking over the news already and I quickly suggested they wait to discuss it until they were away from the company or they had permission.

"But Papa just said it out loud." Lydia protested.

"It was a surprising moment for them. Do both your parents and your sister the courtesy of letting _them_ tell people outside the family the news in their own time. This is a sensitive subject for many people. Plus we do not want the news to take any of the attention from Charlotte today. "

"Very well," Lydia said. "But Georgie and I can talk all we want at home, right?"

"Right." With that, they both agreed to be silent.

Kitty and Grace were easier to persuade. I think they had already heard part of the conversation with Lydia despite my whispering. They just nodded their agreement to my suggestion.

Elizabeth had already made the same suggestion to her mother. I heard them agreeing to speak more about it after the wedding breakfast. As I went back to sit with Richard I saw a smiling Mr. Bennet speaking quietly with Mr. Darcy, who looked more agitated than happy.

Richard made a small gesture towards the two. "Look at the difference. Bennet knows what to expect and has suspected this for a while anyway. He may worry, but he is pleased. Will looks like he was just struck by lightning and is not sure whether to be happy or go into a complete panic," he chuckled and added, "I doubt he will allow Elizabeth to walk anywhere on her own ever again. I have seen how overprotective he can sometimes be with Georgie. He will be 100 times worse with his wife and possible child."

"And how will you be if we are ever in that situation?"

"Just as bad." He grinned at me. "I still hope we will be in that situation some time. I think I would enjoy being a father. I would try to follow my Uncle George's example. He was a man I could respect. Actually I want to speak with you on a subject related to my lack of respect for my father. Do you think we can talk in some privacy after services on Sunday?"

"It may be a little difficult with it probably being the last time we will have Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth there before they leave for Pemberley. But I do have an idea for a way. It also relates to something I wanted to ask you about. I do not need you to answer my request right away, but just put it out for you to think about."

"You know I am likely to go along with anything you ask, unless it means we will not marry."

"You _will_ be marrying me. June 1st, remember?" We both laughed softly.

"I know you will have many responsibilities at Rosings and it will be hard work to restore the estate to good working order." He nodded, but let me continue. "You also have a tendency to throw yourself into a task without taking breaks even when you should. It will be part of my job as your wife to remind you that not everything must be completed right away." He chuckled.

I felt nervous about the request I was going to make and I was not sure I could explain it properly. He saw my hesitation. "Go on. You have an idea to force me to take breaks on occasion?"

"In a sense. Maybe provide a competing priority. It also relates to what you just said about following your uncle's example. I have been thinking about Teddy. I know Mr. Darcy has provided financially for him and he has a home of sorts at Longbourn, but he does not really have a family. He is lonely and needs people to call his own..."

"And you would like for us to adopt him, giving him the family and me a distraction while I take time to teach and raise him properly?"

"Yes, that is what I have been thinking about. He would not be your heir, but he would have a chance to have a father, mother and sister and maybe a few other siblings. We could give him an education that could start him in a profession. I know he would give us love and respect in return." I was feeling very uncertain.

"So your idea for your chance to talk was to go out and play ball with Teddy?"

"More or less."

"Would you be very upset with me if I did not agree to adopt Teddy?" he asked gently.

"No, Richard. I understand it is a big request and requires a lifetime's commitment. Teddy is currently provided for and will come to no harm if we do nothing. I had just hoped he would come to some good and bring good to us as well." I was truly not upset with him. I did still feel a sinking sensation in my stomach. I _was_ disappointed, just not in him.

"I am not denying your request, dearest. I just wanted to know if you would be upset with me if I did. The truth is, I am not at all against the idea."

I looked back up at him hopefully. He nodded a little, with a small smile.

"When my mother died," he said, "there was no one left at Matlock who cared one way or the other about me. Not my family. Not the servants. Uncle George found out somehow that I was wandering about the estate unsupervised, living off what I took for myself from the kitchens. He came for me and took me back to Pemberley while my father said he was welcome to me. Uncle George gave me attention, education and the guidance to live an honest and useful life. I think the best way I can honor him is to offer my attention, affection and guidance to Teddy. It would honor Teddy as well. He has shown his courage in protecting the ones I love on more than one occasion."

If we had not been sitting a room full of people I would have thrown myself into his arms and kissed him senseless. I think he could see it in my expression.

"Save that kiss for me, dearest. I will claim it later when we have some real privacy." He grinned.

I grinned back, then told him, "Mr. Bennet says he has never regretted giving Teddy a place to live after his parents died. I think we will never regret giving him a family."

"I agree." He looked around the room. "We may be sitting in a room full of people, but we do seem to have a sort of privacy here." He sighed. "This discussion about Teddy does tie in with my topic. I have been thinking a good deal about family lately. I feel no connection or kinship to my father or brother. I know of no stories of our ancestors that give me a sense of pride. Aunt Anne was a Darcy as far as I was concerned, while Aunt Catherine demonstrated all the worst qualities of the Fitzwilliams. When I resign my commission I will be the Honorable Richard Fitzwilliam, but I find little honor in the name. The Fitzwilliams are like Rosings Park in a way..."

A hand dropped down on his shoulder just like my memory of another wedding breakfast. I was not surprised to hear the voice of Sir William Lucas.

"Colonel! A happy day, is it not! And you set to marry soon as well. Who would have thought it?"

Richard looked at me and rolled his eyes, but answered, "A very happy day indeed. Lieutenant Andrews was lucky to win the hand of your fine daughter. I am sure he and Mrs. Andrews will be very happy."

"It is a capital match! Capital! And when will you two be celebrating your wedding?"

Richard cocked an eyebrow at me in question and I nodded permission. "We will be marrying on the first of June. Mrs. Bennet has been kind enough to offer us help with our planning."

"Will you be going together to the summer encampment, then?"

"I have recently inherited a family estate," Richard told him. "I plan to resign my commission prior to our wedding and we shall live there."

"How very fortunate for you! A lovely wife and a new home. Capital!"

"I agree," said Richard. "You have my most sincere congratulations on your daughter's wedding."

Sir William smiled and bounced back on his heels a few times. He looked like he wanted to say more but had no idea what that might be. We looked at him in silence. Finally, with another expression of "Capital!" he moved on to speak with someone else.

Richard chuckled a bit. "Not as private as I had hoped," he said.

"At least you did not let him drag you off this time."

Richard looked as if he was not sure how to return to our conversation. I was not completely sure where his thoughts were tending, but I spoke up.

"In a discussion with Elizabeth and Mildred I mentioned my concerns about living at Rosings when you are not comfortable there. Mildred told me the best we could do is take away the furnishings and ornaments that prompt the worst memories of your aunt and concentrate on filling the house with new happy memories. Your family name is somewhat the same. It has been tarnished by the actions of your family, but you _are_ the _Honorable_ Richard Fitzwilliam. I am not ashamed to take your name."

He gave me a half-hearted smile then sighed, "I know you are not ashamed of me or my name. Like your request about Teddy I have a request for you to think about. I will not be upset with you if you are against it, but I need to ask."

"I will consider any request you make."

He was silent, obviously considering how to word his request. He had just seemed to decide and was opening his mouth to speak when Mr. Bingley appeared next to us, looking for all the world like a younger and livelier version of Sir William.

"What a celebration!" he said, completely missing Richard's exasperated sigh. "I look forward to attending your wedding Colonel, Miss York. Mrs. Bennet asked if she could host the wedding breakfast in the Netherfield ballroom. Of course I agreed. We want to celebrate for you in style."

"Thank you, Mr. Bingley," I said, hoping he was done.

"Amazing thing what happened in Kent. And now you have your own estate. You could have knocked me over with a feather when Darcy told me."

"Bingley, this is not the time or place to be discussing that situation. We can talk about it at the Bennet house on Sunday afternoon."

"Oh, quite right. We do not want to put a damper on the celebration here."

"No. I will look forward to talking with you then, but I was in the middle of an important discussion with my lovely betrothed and would like to return to it."

"My apologies for the interruption. I am very happy for you both, you know."

"We do appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Bingley." I answered. As Sir William had done, he bounced off to speak with someone else in the room.

"I am almost afraid to try again," said Richard, looking a little defeated.

"I want to hear your request. Please?"

He nodded. "Very well. You said my family name is like Rosings in a way. I agree it is and I agree with Mrs. Annesley's advice about removing the things that spark bad memories and creating new ones in their place. You may not be ashamed to take my name, but I am ashamed to carry it. I know it is traditional for a woman to take her husband's name when they marry. I would like to request the reverse. I would be honored to carry the name of York and pass that name down to our children. I have heard from the Duke of Montrose about your family. They have an honorable heritage. Let the name Fitzwilliam be removed like the gilt-crusted, gaudy and uncomfortable furniture that currently occupies Rosings. We can create our good memories as Mr. and Mrs. York."

He took a deep breath and looked at me uncertainly. I was not sure what to think.

"Are you certain this is what you want, Richard?"

"I have been thinking of it for some time, at least about letting go of the name Fitzwilliam. I want to release the connection to my father and brother so they do not taint what you and I plan to build together."

"If that is you wish than I will be honored to share my family name with you."

"When we have the privacy for me to claim that kiss you are holding for me, then you may claim the one I am holding for you."

"We will need a different plan than a ball game with Teddy in that case."

"I trust you will think of something."

I would definitely put my mind to it. The back parlor was always an option if we could just get away from the rest of the company. Hmm.


	54. Chapter 54

Before we parted for the day, Richard and I agreed to discuss the adoption with Teddy together. We talked a little about how to present it to the boy. I was not completely sure Teddy even knew Richard and I would be getting married. We decided to make sure he understood that first and then see if he wanted to become our adopted son. Richard thought we should hold off talking about it with anyone else until Teddy agreed to the idea. That seemed reasonable to me. We did not want him to feel pressured to accept our offer if he would truly be happier staying at Longbourn.

"Richard, I have been thinking about our family's married name," he grinned and I continued. "I know your cousin will be very distracted before he leaves..." Richard snorted and broke into a laugh that drew the attention of people around us. When he quieted and they turned back to their own conversations I continued.

"Would you make some time to get Mr. Darcy's perspective on the name change before he leaves for Pemberley? He may see some aspect of it that you have not considered. I am not trying to dissuade you," I added quickly as his expression fell a bit. "It is a big step and I want you to be certain of it and not regret it later."

"My voice of reason," he said affectionately. "I promise to consult with Will before they make their trip. Maybe it will take his mind off his new worries just enough that he can start feeling happy about their possible news."

"A worthy goal, indeed."

"I wonder if Teddy will want to become a York as well? I do not even know his full name. I will have to see if he must wait until he is 21 to legally change it, assuming he wants to do so. I will have to ask Mr. Phillips when I ask about what I would need to do to legally change my name."

"After we talk to Teddy and you talk to Mr. Darcy."

"Of course. I wish there were not so many people around. At least I could hold your hand." he gave a quick sigh of frustration, the brightened. "I am wearing my new socks," he said happily. "They fit perfectly. I hope they will not be the only pair you make for me."

"I have a second pair on the needles already. I hope you do not mind green wool. It is what I had left after making Grace's stockings."

"I will love them no matter what color they are. As long as you make them for me, they will be perfect. No one will see them inside the boots."

"That was my thought." I could see him considering something with a smile. "What are you thinking, Richard?"

"I was wondering how soon I could start teaching Teddy to ride. He seems to like horses in general, not just my big black one."

"You will _not_ start him riding on _that_ horse!"

"No," he said with a wink, "although I did consider it. I think Teddy will need a pony at first. Something suited to his size so he can learn to ride properly. Elizabeth seems to have all kinds of contacts in the neighborhood. Maybe she knows of someone who has a nice steady pony in need of a boy. I will ask her."

"Not until after we talk to Teddy."

"Mm hmm," he nodded absently. I could see he was lost in thoughts of teaching Teddy to ride. Probably, he was planning to have Teddy go with him as he visited the tenants and did other tasks to manage the estate in Kent. I am sure he would end up playing all manner of games with his adopted son. I need not worry he would become too involved in estate matters to rest or take proper care of himself. Teddy would make sure of that and I would help.

0o0o0o0

The discussion in the carriage on the ride back to Longbourn centered on Mrs. Bennet's probable condition. Despite Mr. Bennet's happy certainty, Mrs. Bennet was still flustered by the thought she might truly be increasing again.

"It seems likely," she hesitantly answered when Kitty asked about Mr. Bennet's pronouncements. "One can never be sure until the quickening. Even then so many things can go wrong."

"That is what Miss York said when she told us not to spread the news without your permission."

"I am glad she did. I would rather wait to let anyone outside the family know and I am sure Lizzy feels the same."

"It is exciting news," said Lydia. "Do you think you will have boy?"

"There is no way to tell. I will be happy as long as the child is healthy, although I would very much like to have a son. We will just have to wait and see what happens."

"And that we shall," said Mr. Bennet. "We both love each of our daughters, even if we have not always shown it well. We will love the new child be it boy or girl. Enough questions for now. We are home and your mother needs to rest."

Mrs. Bennet smiled at her husband. "I could use a little rest. It has been a very exciting day."

0o0o0o0

While I supervised the girls at their lessons Friday afternoon and Saturday morning I managed to knit quite a bit of the second green sock. I might even have enough wool left over to make a pair for Teddy.

I resisted the temptation to go talk with Teddy. I knew I could not keep myself from letting slip the wish to adopt him. I hoped he would like the idea. I wanted to discuss it with Grace, but managed to remain silent. Richard and I needed to do this together and it was right to speak with Teddy before we discussed the matter with anyone else.

I wondered if Richard was already looking for the pony. I thought it might be best if riding lessons waited until we went to Rosings. Richard had things to finish up here and I quite selfishly wanted some of his time for myself, although could spare a little time for Teddy.

I did choose to discuss the wedding date with Mrs. Bennet. She reacted much as I had predicted.

"June the first? No, no. It needs to be later in the month. We need more time to plan."

"Mrs. Bennet, I know you can have everything ready by the first of June. You have already demonstrated your ability at planning and you will have Kitty, Lydia and Grace to help you. We want to marry on the first of June. We cannot wait too long as there are many things that need to be done at Rosings Park."

"It is true I will have all three girls to help me. Mr. Bingley said I could use the ballroom at Netherfield and that means Jane will probably help as well, since it is her house...I _suppose_ we could be ready by then."

"I was so confident you could, that I let Richard announce the date to Sir William. You know by now he has told Lady Lucas."

"And she has told everyone else," finished Mrs. Bennet. "Oh very well. What day of the week will it be?"

"It is a Monday. We will have the banns read in May and will be all ready for the wedding."

"That will work. I am glad Mary will have Mrs. Evans as her housekeeper, but I will miss having her baked goods for the breakfast."

"She is a very good baker. Richard and I will miss having her baked goods as well. I know Mary is very happy Mrs. Evans agreed to work for her. The other housekeeper just was not working out."

"I have been so fortunate to have Mrs. Hill. Jane has Mrs. Nicholls to help her. Mary will have Mrs. Evans and Lizzy tells me that both Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Carson run her households very well. What shall you do for a housekeeper at Rosings?"

"I do not know. I shall have to find out what Richard thinks of the one who is already there. He did mention that most of the staff were very loyal to Lady Catherine because she had information she held over them to ensure their obedience. I do wonder how many will remain loyal to us in order to keep their positions."

"I suppose the colonel will reward the woman who told him about the will. Mrs. Jenkins, was it?"

"Mrs. Jenkinson. Yes, he did reward her. Richard told me he set her up with a comfortable pension and offered her the option to live in one of the cottages on the estate. She accepted the pension, but chose to go live with one of her nieces."

"I am not surprised. It must have been very unpleasant having to hide in the attics while those evil men ransacked the house. I would probably want to move somewhere else as well. You may need to visit the house before the wedding to arrange for the redecoration."

That comment gave me another idea to discuss with Richard. I was rather curious to see the estate. Perhaps Richard would be willing to invite the Bennets to spend a week or two in April. Mrs. Bennet would certainly enjoy a chance to help with redecorating and it would be a good opportunity for the young ladies as well.

0o0o0o0

Richard was smiling when he met me outside the church Sunday morning.

"I may have found a pony," he whispered, "and I did not even have to ask Elizabeth." I could not help grinning with him, even if I had my doubts about the need for a pony so soon.

"I will enjoy hearing about it later," I said. I knew I would. There was sure to be some story attached.

Richard greeted the others in our group and then escorted me in. We sat together as was now usual for us. I remembered to continue my habit of thankful prayers. First in my thoughts were thanks for the man by my side.

As he had before, Richard planned to go back to camp with his men and then ride to Longbourn to join us all for the meal. As we waited for the Bennet carriage to pull around I asked if he planned to ride Old Satan.

"He might prove a bit of a distraction," he answered. "Teddy is very fond of him and might pay more attention to the horse than to us."

"You have a point, but I still think you should bring him. Teddy and Grace both enjoy petting him and feeding him carrots or apples. They seem to have a calming effect on him."

Richard laughed, "Not according to my men. They said he has been even more difficult to ride in the ring since I returned from Kent."

"They just do not have the right touch."

"You may be correct. Well, if you think I should, then I will ride him."

True to his word, Richard arrived a little later on the back of Old Satan. Teddy ran around from the side yard to greet them. Richard dismounted and tossed the reins to Teddy.

"Care to lead him to the stable?" he asked jovially.

"Yes, sir!" Teddy answered. The horse seemed perfectly happy with this state of things. I suspected he knew there would be a carrot or two later. The groom stood at the stable door waiting to take over when Teddy made his delivery.

Richard winked at me, then offered his arm. As we stepped towards the front door he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I was wondering if anyone would miss us if we took a detour to the back parlor when Mr. Bennet's voice came from inside.

"Philosopher! Mind your manners."

Richard snickered, "He seems to have eyes in the back of his head." Knowing we were under observation, we went straight to the drawing room.

It was a cheerful gathering, despite our realization that the Darcys would be leaving on Tuesday. Mr. Bingley quickly cornered Richard for that discussion about the happenings in Kent. I wondered exactly what Mr. Darcy had told him as he seemed not to have taken it all in. I listened in silence as they talked.

"So Mr. Collins was not evicted?"

"No, Bingley, although he was removed from the house. Unfortunately for him he was dead by that time. They buried him in the garden."

"Do you plan to leave him there? I imagine the next person to have the living would get quite a shock if they went to plant their turnips and turned up Mr. Collins instead."

"Very funny, Bingley," Richard said with a roll of his eyes. "After we determined what had happened, we had him moved to the graveyard at the Hunsford church. Will even arranged for a small headstone. It did not seem right to leave him where he was. They had not done a very good job with the burial anyway."

"However did your aunt manage to keep your uncle's will a secret? I would have thought it was read out for the family."

"She discouraged any visitors other than my father when Sir Lewis died and we all took her at her word when she told everyone that she was her husband's beneficiary. Uncle George was starting to feel ill at that point and accepted the excuse not to travel. My father may have bribed the solicitor who assisted him in supposedly executing the will. She had money enough to pay my father for his silence and fund several bribes as well. Rosings has never been a poor estate, although under Lady Catherine it was poorly managed. Sophia and I will set things to rights."

"I am glad you will have a home of your own. It will certainly be easier than finding a good house at the summer encampment for the militia."

"You are quite right there. All the landlords raise their rents when the militia comes to town."

Mrs. Hill came in just then and announced the meal was ready. As he had the previous week, Richard escorted me to my seat, then kissed my cheek before sitting down himself. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley followed his example and kissed their wives. Mr. Bennet simply shook his head in mock despair and the young ladies and Mrs. Bennet giggled at the show.

After the meal Richard told Mr. Bennet that we wished to go out and have a chat with Teddy. That earned us a raised eyebrow, but no objection beyond a warning to not wander far on our own.

We found Teddy exactly where we expected him. He was in the stable talking with Old Satan.

"He enjoyed his carrot," the boy announced to us as we entered.

"I am sure he did," Richard said. "He likes coming here because he knows he will get treats. I wonder if we could have a little talk with you, Teddy? Miss York and I have something we want to discuss."

"Yes, sir," he said with a smile.

"If we stay here in the stable will you be able to pay proper attention to our talk instead of to the horse?"

"I will pay attention," he said.

Richard leaned against one of the posts by the stall door, tucking my arm into his so I could lean against him. Teddy copied his attitude, leaning against the other post.

"Had you heard that Miss York and I will be getting married?"

"Yes, sir. Mrs. Hill and the cook were talking about it and how Mrs. Bennet is planning the wedding for you."

"I have a big house now called Rosings Park. After we get married Miss York and I are going to live there. Miss York's sister, Grace, will be living with us, but we both realized our family is not complete. We would like to have you come with us and be part of our family as well."

"I could come live in your big house? Would there be a housekeeper like Mrs. Hill to look after me?"

"Actually, we were thinking that I could look after you, like a mother does," I said. "We would like you to be our adopted son, Teddy."

"What does adopted mean?"

"It means that we become your parents even though we were not before. Once you are adopted you are part of the family. I will be your father. Sophia, that is Miss York, will be your mother and Grace will be either your aunt or your sister. The two of you will have to decide which you prefer. What do you say? Would you like to be our son?"

Teddy glowed like a sunny day in August. "Yes, sir!" he almost shouted. He was no longer leaning against the post. He jumped in the air, spun around once and then he turned to the horse. "Did you hear that, Satan? I am going to be the colonel's son! And Miss York's too!" The horse snuffled and stomped his foot. Teddy suddenly turned back to us.

"Is Old Satan coming with us to the big house?"

"Yes, Teddy. We would not go without him."

"Do you think I could learn to ride him?" he asked eagerly.

Richard grinned at me and I just gave his arm a squeeze.

"I think you can, Teddy. We are going to start you on a pony first. You are still small enough that you will learn best on a smaller animal. Once you are a good rider we will try you on Old Satan."

"I will work hard and become a very good rider."

"I am counting on that. You know how Longbourn has tenants and fields that need to be visited? Rosings is a little bigger and there are more tenants and fields. We will need to ride together to manage the estate."

"I can _help_ you?"

"Absolutely."

Teddy jumped again and did a little dance of joy. Richard and I laughed. Our family was coming together nicely. Old Satan let out a sound that was almost like a laugh himself. I hoped he would behave when it came time for Teddy to ride him.


	55. Chapter 55

We talked with Teddy a little while longer, although as Richard had predicted Teddy did give a great deal of his attention to the horse. The boy had to keep his friend up to date on the conversation. Richard let Teddy know his riding lessons would start as soon as we found the right pony and the whoop of joy brought a couple of the grooms out to make sure everything was well. Old Satan seemed undisturbed, but a few of the other horses started shifting nervously.

"We are excited too, Teddy," I told him, "but we do not want to scare the other horses. Let us go outside and you can update Richard's horse later."

He calmed a little and reached up to pat Old Satan. "I am going to learn to ride a pony and when I am good I can ride you," he almost whispered. Then the three of us headed out of the stable. As we got to the door he stopped and looked at me.

"Is Richard another name for the colonel?" he asked.

"Yes. Colonel is his military rank. He earned that. Richard is his given name, like Sophia is mine. York is my family name, the one that was passed down from my father and his is Fitzwilliam. What is your family name, Teddy?"

He shrugged. "Everyone just calls me Teddy. Mr. Bennet would know if I have any other names. Will I get a new family name when I am adopted?"

Richard ruffled Teddy's hair lightly. "You sure can. We are still making plans about what that family name will be, but when we are a family you can share it."

Teddy smiled again and danced out into the yard. Richard and I followed him arm in arm, no less happy.

"Richard, I informed Mrs. Bennet of our wedding date. She was reluctant for us to marry so early in the month, but I insisted and she finally agreed she would make the date work." Richard laughed at that. "While she and I were talking she said something that got me thinking. She asked about whether the staff would be staying and also suggested I would want to go there to get a start on the redecorating. I was wondering if we could make a holiday of it and invite the Bennets to spend a week or two at Rosings in April. I really am curious to see the place, but I cannot go alone. If the whole family goes then I will be able to continue with my responsibilities, have plenty of help deciding what to do with the interior of the house and we can start the process of filling the house with happy memories." I looked at him hopefully.

Richard smiled at me. "I do still have concerns about the staff. Waiting for June to deal with them might be too long. Early April would work out since there are several things that need to be done around the estate at that time. Will usually visited at Easter time to set up the planting schedules. That is March 29th this year, as you know. If we go in the first week of April I can take care of those things and you can all deal with the spring cleaning. I might have to come back and forth between there and the camp a few times if we stay two weeks, but that should not be a problem. Teddy will go with us, of course." He looked at the boy who was happily running around the side yard.

"Of course. He needs to get a look at his new home as well. Now, what is the story on this pony you found?"

Richard grinned. "You remember I mentioned how feisty Old Satan has been in the training ring since we came back from Kent?" I nodded and he went on. "Mr. Archer, the magistrate, had come by the camp yesterday to speak with me. I walked along with him when he went to retrieve his horse and we passed by the ring just as Old Satan dumped another rider. Mr. Archer laughed at the sight and suggested maybe my men needed to train on ponies first. He told me his brother raised them and had a few for sale if I was interested. He was making a joke out of it, but I told him I actually had need of a pony for a young boy of my acquaintance. We talked it over a bit and he told me his brother's direction and agreed to send him a note to say I would be coming by."

"I was wondering whether it would be too early to get the pony before we move to Rosings," I told him, "but Teddy is so very excited and with the information just falling in your lap like that it is probably worth a look. Will you take Teddy along? It sounds like Mr. Archer's brother has more than one and you would want to make sure the animal is a good fit for him."

"That would be even better!" Richard said excitedly. "Teddy would love to pick out his own pony. I will talk with Bennet and see if we could stable it here so I could give him lessons when I visit. There are some things at camp I need to attend to tomorrow, but I might be able to get away for a few hours on Tuesday or Wednesday. I could come by here to collect Teddy and we could ride together out to the other Mr. Archer's estate to look at the ponies. Oh, I like that idea!"

"Shall we go in and talk with Mr. Bennet about adopting Teddy, stabling a pony and taking the family to Rosings after Easter?"

"I would rather go visit the back parlor for a few minutes first."

I smiled at him. "If we go in the side door we might be able to stop there before Mr. Bennet knows we are inside."

"I like the way you think, dearest," he said affectionately. He addressed Teddy who had come running back up to us. "How would you like to to take a trip with me on Tuesday or Wednesday to meet some ponies?"

A shout and another big jump answered that question. Teddy was thrilled.

"I need to make sure Mr. Bennet approves first," Richard warned the boy, "but if he does we can ride together to a place where they have some ponies and see if one of them will work for you."

"I can ride with you on Old Satan? He needs to approve of the pony too."

"That he does. Do you want to go tell him about it while we go in to speak with Mr. Bennet? That is, if you can do it without disturbing the other horses? We will be in the house for a while, but I will let you know for sure before I leave today."

"I will try not to shout inside the stable and disturb the other horses. I get to ride with you and look at ponies! Hurrah!"

We left him jumping out his excitement before heading in to tell his friend. Richard and I went around to the side door and made our way back into the house through the kitchens. The staff was finishing up the dishes and other cleaning from luncheon. We nodded to them as we passed and slipped out into the hall. We had _almost_ made it to the back parlor when we heard Mr. Bennet.

"Philosopher! We expect you in here to share whatever news had young Teddy jumping with joy."

Richard sighed and whispered, "That man knows exactly how frustrating he is being and enjoys every minute of it." He raised his voice and answered, "We will be right there, sir." Then he embraced and kissed me right there in the hall. We did not part until Mr. Bennet added, "Now, Philosopher!"

Laughing as we went, we returned to the drawing room. Everyone looked at us expectantly. Richard ignored them and led me to our usual seats. We sat down together and I reached under the seat for my workbasket and took out my knitting. The room was silent for moment.

"Well?" asked Lydia, always the first to break, "What were you talking with Teddy about?" She bounced a little in her seat.

Richard feigned nonchalance as he answered, "Oh, nothing much. We just asked him if he want to be our adopted son and live with us at Rosings."

A murmur of surprise went around the room.

"If those joyous shouts were any indication," said Mr. Bennet, "he found the idea agreeable."

"That he did," Richard answered, "but the shouts you heard were more about the pony."

"What pony?" asked Mr. Bingley in confusion. "There are no ponies at Longbourn are there?"

"Not now, but if Mr. Bennet would be willing to provide stable space for one until after the wedding I plan to provide a pony so Teddy can learn to ride."

Mr. Darcy laughed while shaking his head at Richard's enthusiasm. The four young ladies all expressed their approval of the idea. Mr. Bingley cheerfully nodded acceptance of the answer. It was Elizabeth who spoke up.

"I think that will be a very good activity for Teddy. The magistrate's brother, also Mr. Archer, raises ponies and my have one for sale."

"I got ahead of you this time," said Richard with a chuckle. "I already found out about him and the magistrate sent a note over to his brother yesterday warning him I would be coming to call."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, Papa? Do you think a pony would strain the resources of the Longbourn stable?"

He laughed in return. "If we can manage the visits of the great black beast the colonel rides, we can surely manage a pony."

"We had another request for you, Mr. Bennet." The older man looked at him in question.

We wondered if the entire Bennet family would join us on a trip to Rosings Park for the first week or two of April? Sophia would like the chance to see to some of the redecorating before we marry and move in. Mrs. Bennet and your daughters would be of great help to her. While they work inside, you, Teddy and I could check on the tenants and make sure everything is in good shape."

"Oh, yes, Papa! Could we?" said Lydia, echoed by a similar question from Kitty.

"I would like to see Rosings," said Mrs. Bennet. "And travel will be so much more difficult later on."

Mr. Bennet had looked a little unsure at first, but his wife's comment decided him. "If you wish to make the trip, Mrs. Bennet, then we shall accept the invitation." Grace, Kitty and Lydia all cheered.

"No more than two weeks, mind," Mr. Bennet told us. "Lydia and I still have to tend to estate matters here as well. We want a prosperous year."

"Are Jane and I included in the invitation?" Mr. Bingley asked.

"Of course, Bingley. We will be happy to have you both there. I am just sorry that Will, Elizabeth and Georgie will be at Pemberley."

"I will send you a list of what to look for when you are there," Mr. Darcy said. "I had intended to suggest you make a few short trips to check on things. I hope to have a replacement steward for you as well. You may end up losing key members of the household staff. I suggest working with Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls to line up some replacements. You will know better who you will need after you visit, but if you warn them in advance they may be able to send someone right away if you get there and need a replacement fast."

"Good idea, Will. I would appreciate your notes and suggestions. I have much to learn and Uncle George's lessons were several years ago."

"You know how to manage groups of people from your time in the military. The finer details will be easy enough to learn."

Richard nodded, then he looked to Mr. Bennet again. "When Sophia and I were talking with Teddy we had a discussion about names. He does not remember his family name and says everyone just calls him Teddy. What is his full name?"

Mr. Bennet thought for a moment, then brightened as he remembered. "It is true. We have all called him Teddy so long I almost forgot. He was christened Thaddeus James Simons. The records are at the church in Meryton if you ever need them. His parents called him Teddy, so we simply continued as they began."

"Thaddeus, hmm?" Richard said thoughtfully. "One of my fellow officers, back when I was a lieutenant, was named Thaddeus. He told me his father insisted the name meant "courageous heart". I think that certainly fits our Teddy."

"I would say so," Mr. Darcy agreed. "I am glad you plan to adopt him, Richard. He needs a family and you will be the better for having him to keep you from overworking as you take on the responsibilities at Rosings."

"That was part of Sophia's plan in suggesting the arrangement." Richard's comment prompted some laughter.

Mr. Darcy continued, "Of course, the trust fund I established for Teddy still stands, as does the investment I made on his behalf with Gardiner. I suggest you be sure to update your will to make provision for him—the law gives him no rights to inherit anything from you unless you specify it in your will. Phillips can help you with that."

"I will be seeing Phillips on another matter this week and planned to speak with him about updating my will. I also wanted to gain your advice on a legal matter. Would you mind if I rode back to the dower house with you when you return later? I know you will be busy tomorrow with your final preparations for the trip to Pemberley and I also have business in camp tomorrow."

"Of course, Richard. I will be happy to advise you on any matter you wish."

The conversation turned to the Darcy family's travel plans. While others participated in that discussion, Mildred came over and congratulated us on our decision to adopt Teddy.

"He is a good boy and the association will be as beneficial to you as it is to him."

"That was exactly the argument my Sophia used when she presented the idea to me," Richard said. "Of course I had to agree with her."

"Whose idea was the pony?" she asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Mine. Right after she insisted I could not teach Teddy to ride using Old Satan."

"You may just be able to train him into a very good sort of husband, Sophia," she said with a wink at Richard. "He already seems willing to listen to you."

"We each agreed to listen to the other and _consider_ any requests. We respect each other and that is how we will make our marriage a happy one."

"You will do very well, Colonel," she said approvingly. "You will do very well indeed."

I had to agree with her.


	56. Chapter 56

Between our discussion of the Darcy travel plans and various questions about the newly planned visit to Rosings Park, the afternoon passed far too quickly. The Darcys had to return to the dower house, with Richard accompanying them, and the Bingleys would leave soon after.

We all went outside with the Darcys when their carriage was brought around so we could make our farewells with hugs and promises to write. Mildred wished me a pleasant time in Kent and an engagement marked by a lack of interference from smugglers, kidnappers and the like. I wished her a comfortable and uneventful journey.

The groom brought out Old Satan. Actually Teddy brought out the horse, holding his reins while Old Satan walked along with him, but the groom walked alongside and held the head stall to make sure there were no problems. Teddy happily accepted congratulations on the new family he was gaining. He did not even protest, although he did look embarrassed, when Grace caught him in a hug saying, "You are going to be my brother, Teddy! I always wanted a brother!"

"I guess it will be sister, not aunt," Richard said to me. I had moved away from the Darcy party, who were still being fussed over by other members of the family, and had taken Richard's arm as the closest thing to an embrace I could get in this public setting.

"I suppose I should be his aunt," said Grace, "but I would rather be his sister."

"I think I would like to have you as a sister, Miss Grace. I never had a sister before."

"Then you must drop the Miss and call me Grace, brother."

Old Satan whickered and stamped as if he wanted a part of the conversation and a hug as well. Grace reached over and scratched under his chin while Teddy joined her.

"They act like siblings already," Mr. Bennet observed.

Richard addressed the boy. "Teddy, we have Mr. Bennet's permission to go look at the ponies this week. If we find one that you and Old Satan think might suit then we may bring it back to Longbourn so I can start your riding lessons. Will you be ready to go with me on Tuesday or Wednesday?

"Yes, sir! I hope it will be Tuesday!" Everyone smiled or chuckled at his exuberance.

"I hope so too, but it will depend on how things go at camp tomorrow and that is up to other people in part. I will do what I can to speed things up." He looked around at the group and added, "It looks like the Darcys are ready to leave now, and I am riding with them to the dower house. Say goodbye to the horse for now."

Grace and Teddy complied while Richard turned to me. "I will tell you about the discussion with Will when I come for Teddy," he said softly. I nodded and let go of his arm so he could leave. He kissed my cheek, then mounted the horse. Bidding good evening to the group he followed the Darcy carriage down the drive.

"So, adopting young Teddy was _your_ idea, Miss York," Mr. Bennet said with a smile, looking to where Grace and Teddy talked happily together. "You live up to your name as our young Thaddeus lives up to his."

"I do my best, Mr. Bennet."

"So, whose suggestion was our little holiday in Kent?"

"The idea came from your wife, although she may not realize it. I just carried the idea along and asked Richard if it would work. He has things to do on the estate, so he agreed."

"We have never taken a family holiday before. Or any holiday at all, really. She sounds excited at the prospect."

"I am not sure if she is excited about the trip or about the chance to redecorate an estate," I told him, earning a laugh in return.

"Perhaps it is both."

0o0o0o0

Our lessons Monday were punctuated by questions or comments about the trip to Kent from the young ladies. I finally declared all discussion of the trip must take place in French or be written. The book of French vocabulary we worked out of for our lessons saw heavy use that day, as did Lydia's slate. Grace, Kitty and Lydia were still distracted, but at least they learned something.

On Monday I also received a letter from Mary with her response to the news from Elizabeth and me about my engagement and the happenings in Kent. I was particularly struck by one paragraph.

 _I try to believe that people are generally good, but the incidents with Lord Willoughby, the smugglers, Lady Catherine and the Earl of Matlock do challenge that belief. I have to wonder if they are the exception or the rule. Their casual disregard for others seems to overpower the good I want to see in the world. But if they are the rule, then how does one explain boys like Teddy, and men like those my sisters and I have married, your colonel and Charlotte's lieutenant along with so many others I know? If so many rise above what seems the rule, then perhaps we are looking at the wrong rule. I must continue to believe in the basic goodness of people. The sadness of the world would overwhelm me if I did not._

I had struggled with similar thoughts myself so many times. Mary and I might both be guilty of willful ignorance, but as she said, to believe otherwise was to lose hope for the world. We did not have to leave ourselves open to the actions of those intent on harm, but neither did we have to view all humanity with suspicion.

I moved on to read her congratulations on Richard's inheritance and hopes we would enjoy the home despite the burden of it having come through the deaths of his cousin, Anne, and his aunt. She told me a little of the redecorating she and Mrs. Gardiner were doing on her home and assured me me she was still very happy in her new life. She also confirmed what Richard and I had suspected. All of the family, with the possible exception of Mr. Bingley, had recognized the attraction between us early on and had been doing everything they could to foster an attachment between Richard and me. She said Mr. Darcy had even discussed finding a way for me to mysteriously inherit enough funds to keep us if it looked like Richard would be sent to the battlefield again. With the inheritance of Rosings that would not be necessary.

Her letter prompted yet another prayer of thankfulness for all the good people who had come into my life. I did not want to think of where Grace and I would be if I had not ended up at Longbourn.

0o0o0o0

Richard arrived a Longbourn on Tuesday a little after luncheon. I went out to speak with him while he waited in the drive for Teddy to get his coat on and be fussed over a little by Mrs. Hill.

"Will understood my reasons for the name change and he promised to support me. After all, _he_ does not like the name Fitzwilliam either, which is why we know him as Will." Richard laughed. "He did warn me that I might run into some ridicule, particularly in town. Such a change is not unknown, but it is usually done as a means to secure an estate or fortune. I do not intend to explain my reasoning to anyone outside our immediate family, so I hope most will simply take it as part of the wedding settlement. The most stubborn resistance, Will warned me, is most likely to come from the older servants and tenants at Rosings. They have known me for much of my life and may not want to change the name they use. I will just have to take it as it comes. This break with the past is important to me."

"I will support you in any way I can, Richard," I assured him. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as Teddy came running up, eager to leave.

"Are we ready to go, sir? I am so glad you could come today. I hope the ponies will be friendly." His words tumbled out in a rush that made me smile and Richard chuckle.

"We need you to try and calm down a bit, Teddy," Richard told him. "If you bounce around and are too excited when you ride you give your horse confusing signals. A well-trained horse responds to the way you move your body as well as how you pull the reins. In fact, when a well-trained horse and good rider get to know each other, the reins are mostly for show as the rider guides his horse with his movements."

"So if I bounce because I am excited I might be telling Old Satan to turn or jump?"

"Not exactly, but it will confuse the messages he is receiving from me. So when I put you up on him I want you to think about how you are moving no matter how excited you are. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir. Only you might have to remind me if I forget."

"I will. Are you ready?"

"Almost." He turned to scratch Old Satan under the chin and said, "I am going to ride on you with the colonel now. We are going to look at ponies. I am excited, so please do not be confused if I forget and bounce a little." The horse nudged him and Teddy gave him a pat on the nose. He turned back to us while we tried not to laugh aloud. "I am ready now."

I held the reins for them while Richard picked up Teddy and settled him on the saddle, then swung up behind him. He got himself and Teddy adjusted comfortably while the horse simply stood, waiting. When they were settled I handed Richard the reins and wished them luck finding the right pony. Teddy wore a grin of joy that could have split his face, and Richard was almost as excited. I heard Richard starting Teddy's riding lessons as they headed down the drive.

Turning, I went back inside and into to the drawing room where Mrs. Bennet and the three young ladies were working on their handwork.

"We watched them leave from the window," Grace told me. "Teddy looked very excited."

"Are you certain they will be safe on that big horse?" Mrs. Bennet asked with concern.

"No one can be certain of anything with _that_ horse," I answered, "but he does usually behave for Richard and he likes Teddy. I do not think the horse would do anything to deliberately harm them."

"Well, if you think they will be fine, I suppose I should not worry. I am so looking forward to seeing your new home. Will told us Rosings is even larger and grander than Netherfield. Imagine having all those rooms to decorate!"

"From what I understand, the first task will be to _un_ -decorate. Mr. Darcy, Richard and Georgiana have all told me Lady Catherine filled the house with far too much useless ornamentation. I do not want to buy anything beyond what is absolutely necessary, but I do want to clear things out and move the useful bits around."

"We shall have to see if it is as bad as they say when we get there. I have never been any further from Meryton than London, and we only went there a few times to visit my brother Gardiner when the children were still young. Mr. Bennet does not like to travel, but I have always wanted to see a little more of the world. I am so very glad you asked us to visit."

"I am excited for us all to go. I will feel better facing the tasks ahead of me with all of you to advise me at the start."

"It is a little frightening coming to an unknown house as a new bride. I am amazed at how calmly Lizzy is facing taking over the running of Pemberley and the town house."

"She settled in very quickly at Darcy House, although part of that was due to Mrs. Carson, the housekeeper. She has admitted she is nervous about going to Pemberley, but it has helped that she has already developed a good relationship with Mrs. Reynolds through correspondence."

"Lizzy told us she feels fortunate Will had two very good housekeepers already in place," Kitty said. "Mary wrote that even though Mrs. Hilliard seemed to be a good housekeeper, things did not run as smoothly as she would like and she did not feel respected. She is very happy Mrs. Evans agreed to come work for her."

"Both Richard and Mr. Darcy have expressed doubts about the help currently at Rosings. I plan to speak with Mrs. Hill and see if she and Mrs. Nicholls can identify a few people to take over the key positions if we arrive at the house and determine there is trouble. I would like to hire locally, but we might need people on a temporary basis until I find a good local resource to help identify candidates."

"That sounds like a wise plan, Miss York," Mrs. Bennet said. "It is important to support the local neighborhood by hiring there, but you also need a staff you can trust. If you do have to bring outsiders to Rosings you will need to make it clear to everyone the situation is temporary while you find a good local option. That will keep feelings from being hurt or resentment against your family from cropping up."

"I will keep your advice in mind. It seems Lady Catherine had a tendency to interfere in the lives of her tenants and the villagers. It will probably be quite an adjustment when Richard and I chose not to do the same. We will need to build trust and hiring outsiders permanently would hinder that."

The five of us discussed what to look for when hiring the household staff. Rosings would need more maids and footmen than a small house like Longbourn did. Kitty had been learning from her mother during their household lessons and between them they helped educate Grace, Lydia and me. It was an interesting lesson even if I was the student instead of the teacher.

0o0o0o0

When Richard and Teddy returned we could see, even from the window, their trip had been a success. Both wore happy smiles and Teddy was chatting away as they rode. Mrs. Bennet told me to ask them both to come in and tell her all about the trip.

I had no sooner come through the front door before I heard Teddy say, "Miss York! Miss York! I have a pony!" I could see him consciously trying to contain his excited bounce.

"That is wonderful news, Teddy! Mrs. Bennet would like you and Richard to come inside and tell us all about your trip. We will have tea and biscuits."

"Are they my favorite kind of biscuits?" Richard asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Evans made a big batch before she left for London and she sent them over to us. I have a tin you can take back to camp with you when you go."

"Well then, Teddy and I will come in for tea just as soon as we turn our faithful mount over to the grooms for a rub down." He directed Old Satan to the stable and I went back in to make sure the tea tray had been ordered and the biscuits would be on it.

It was only a few minutes before Richard and Teddy came in. Mrs. Hill had made them brush off the road dust just outside the door, so they were clean enough now to sit in Mrs. Bennet's good chairs. Richard immediately took his usual spot next to me, with the usual kiss on the cheek. Grace called Teddy over to sit near her. He climbed up into the seat happily and bounced a little as he sat. He was still grinning widely.

"I am glad to see you both back safely," said Mrs. Bennet. "I see by the smiles your trip was a success."

"Yes, ma'am!" said Teddy. "I have a pony!"

Lydia brought the mug of milk Mrs. Hill provided for Teddy and set it on a table near him, while Kitty poured the tea. After setting down the milk, Lydia brought around the tray of biscuits, making sure everyone took a few. Richard tried to take a whole handful, but I lightly rapped his knuckles and told him to behave. While the pouring and passing was going on Grace asked Teddy to tell her about his pony.

"He was the nicest one there and Old Satan liked him best. I named him Sooty, because he has spots like soot all over his back. He has black legs and a black face with a big white spot on his forehead that has sooty specks in it too."

"How did you know Old Satan liked him?" Lydia asked.

"Well, he picked him out of the bunch for me."

"How did he do that?"

"Can you tell them, Colonel, sir. I really want to eat my biscuit."

We all laughed, but Richard answered, "You go ahead and eat two biscuits, Teddy. And drink some milk. I will tell the story."

We all looked at him expectantly.

"Mr. Archer was expecting us because I sent him a note this morning asking if we could come. He led us out to the training ring where he had a herd of a dozen ponies he was willing to sell. He called them over and gave Teddy some apple slices to feed to them while he was taking a look at them. Sooty seemed particularly friendly, but Teddy was not quite sure because a few others seemed friendly too. He asked if we could bring Old Satan into the ring to see what he thought of them. Mr. Archer agreed and we opened the gate. Old Satan walked in and took his time walking up to each of the ponies in turn. He seemed to have a little conversation with each of them before he moved on. It was interesting to watch. After he had interviewed them all he came back to where Teddy was standing and nuzzled his hair. Then he turned back to the herd and separated Sooty from them like a sheepdog would. The two of them came trotting back to Teddy and Sooty nuzzled his hair like Old Satan had done a few minutes before. Well, the decision was made right there." He laughed and then stole a biscuit from my plate.

"Richard! Eat you own biscuits."

"I will when I have finished yours."

"Behave, Philosopher," came Mr. Bennet's voice from the door. "You would not want to have your lady mad at you and spoil the good you have done in picking out the right pony for this boy."

"Spoilsport," Richard grumbled. He took a biscuit from his plate and put it onto mine.

"That is better." said Mr. Bennet with a grin. "So, Teddy, when does Sooty arrive at Longbourn?"

"Mr. Archer said he would have his man bring Sooty here tomorrow. They even had a saddle that is just my size, so I will be ready to learn riding when the colonel can come teach me."

While Teddy was speaking I slipped the biscuit back onto Richard's plate. He winked at me, then picked the biscuit up and ate it quickly.

Mr. Bennet took his favorite seat and Kitty poured him tea and provided him with a plate of biscuits. "Less for the colonel to munch," he said as he accepted it.

We spent a happy time having our tea and asking Teddy and Richard questions about their trip to and from Mr. Archer's home. We gave Teddy time to finish his biscuits and milk between questions, but he was still almost too excited to eat. Even Mrs. Bennet asked a few questions. It made for a very happy afternoon.


	57. Chapter 57

The next few weeks passed quickly. Richard spent as much time as he could at Longbourn, but I know he felt torn between trying to wrap up his responsibilities to the militia unit, preparing to take the time for our visit to Kent and coming to spend time with Grace, Teddy and me. He was trying to get to know all his soon-to-be family. He handled the competing priorities as best he could, but it was taking a toll. I would be glad when we set off on our trip so he could relax a bit.

As often as I could I came out to watch Teddy's riding lessons. Richard proved to be a very patient teacher. He not only told Teddy how to sit or move, he explained _why_ it was important and encouraged the boy to think things out and ask questions. In addition to the actual riding, Richard also included lessons on how to look after your mount. Teddy learned to brush Sooty, check his hooves for problems and how to clean and store the tack. Man and boy bonded over the lessons and I could see a deep affection growing between them. We might not be an official family yet, but there was no doubt those two were father and son in their hearts.

My talk with Mrs. Hill proved fruitful. She and her cousin put their heads together and came up with a list of qualified people who might be willing to take temporary positions at Rosings if the need arose. Mrs. Hill suggested appropriate salaries for each of the key positions and I confirmed with Richard that we could offer those salaries if we had to hire any of the people on.

The excitement was building among those at Longbourn. Even Mr. Bennet was starting to look forward to the trip. He and Lydia had been looking at ways to improve production at Longbourn and he wanted to see what he could learn at the larger estate. Lydia protested that it was not fair the she could not join them riding the estate and looking at the planting. In response Mr. Bennet began giving Lydia riding lessons on Nelly, the old mare on which Jane had learned to ride. Lydia took to riding fairly well, although she was not fond of the sidesaddle. She was sure men had an easier time of it being able to ride astride. Richard laughed and agreed with her. He then assured her there was gentle mare in the Rosings stable that would do well for her during the visit.

"Lady Catherine did not approve of spirited horses," he told us, "so she kept the gentle horse, which was trained to the sidesaddle, for Georgiana's use. Anne's ponies and phaeton are there as well. Do any of you ladies know how to drive?"

"I learned at Stone Landing, where I had a pony cart to take me around the estate. I have not driven since my father's death."

"Anne's ponies are just as gentle as the other horses in the stable. I think you might enjoy the phaeton. If you feel comfortable driving it you can take one or two of the other ladies out with you, although given the trouble we had there, I would prefer you have a groom or two on horseback follow close behind if Teddy and I are not available to accompany you ourselves."

"May I learn to drive the phaeton?" Grace asked.

"If your sister agrees, I have no objection. It is a good way to get around and when we live at the estate you may both wish to visit our neighbors or the village. You will have the carriage at your disposal, of course, but sometimes the informality of the phaeton may be preferable."

Kitty and Grace said they would both like to learn how to ride or drive as well, but would wait until our return for lessons. Lydia needed the attention now if she was to ride the estate with the gentlemen. We all agreed that was a good plan, so Lydia's lessons continued.

0o0o0o0

During one of the Sunday visits Jane told me she was pleased she and her husband were included in the invitation.

"Charles had intended to take me to London for a few weeks shortly after we were married, but between the threat from Lord Willoughby and the bad weather, we decided to wait. You know he had his sister and her husband move out of the townhouse so it would be free for us. He had to be very firm with them to get them out of the house, but they ended up moving back to Mr. Hurst's family estate. I have been to London several times to visit the Gardiners, so I did mind missing the trip, but I have never been beyond. I am looking forward to seeing some of Kent."

"Your mother said much the same thing. She told me your father did not care to travel so she has never been beyond London and she is looking forward to the adventure."

"It will be an adventure, but the trip also has the benefit of giving us some time away from Netherfield. Charles and I are deciding if he will renew the lease for another year or if we might find another estate that is available for purchase. I like being near my parents, but I would also like it if we could live near Lizzy. It is a difficult decision to make and more so if we are right here."

"I understand your dilemma. Is there any chance you could purchase Netherfield?"

"No, the owners are only leasing it out until their second son graduates from the university. Then he will take over running the estate. Their oldest will inherit the estate the family currently lives on."

"So eventually you will have to move anyway. When does the current lease run out?"

"Just before Michaelmas."

"Right around the time your mother would be due if all goes well."

"I had not thought of that. We will have to take that timing into consideration as well."

Our conversation turned to her experiences in managing Netherfield as compared to helping her mother at Longbourn. I wondered if it had been a difficult adjustment.

"It might have been with someone other than Mrs. Nicholls in charge. I can trust her absolutely. She and Mrs. Hill work very similarly, so it is largely just a matter of adjusting to the scale of the house. The budget and the number of staff are proportionally larger. It gave me pause when I realized all that house, staff, grounds and more are there to serve just my husband and me. Longbourn is a third the size, yet our whole large family fit comfortably here."

"Unless, like Elizabeth, you need more space to walk."

We laughed and Jane said, "Pemberley is even larger than Netherfield, yet I am sure Lizzy will feel too enclosed and will run away for walks even there."

"I believe Mr. Darcy is counting on joining her."

"They are both people who enjoy times of solitude. I think the size of Pemberley will be no drawback to them. Charles and I both enjoy the company of others. At times the size of Netherfield is overwhelming to us."

"You might be happier letting the lease go and moving to his townhouse then. There is no pressing need to buy an estate right away, is there? You can always wait and re-evaluate the idea if the size of your family increases beyond what the townhouse can hold."

"I have been thinking that way. I know Charles enjoys spending part of his time in country. He likes the riding and shooting. Will and Lizzy would probably host us for visits to satisfy that need."

"There is no doubt they would. Richard and I will be happy to host you as well. Rosings is closer to town than Pemberley. You could take shorter visits with us and plan longer visits with your sister to make up for the greater distance of travel."

"I understand Rosings is about the same distance from London as we are here. If we live in London it will be easy enough to go to either place."

"I am glad we will not have to stay at an inn on our way to Rosings for this trip. We should be able to easily make it in a day, even if we take the trip in easy stages."

"We should be fairly comfortable between the two carriages. Richard and Charles will probably ride, which just spreads the six ladies, Teddy and Papa between the two."

"I expect Teddy will ride part of the way if we bring Sooty. Otherwise he will ride with Richard part of the time. I think the plan is to bring Sooty, which is why we would make sure we are going at an easy pace."

"Do you think we will be attending any events or visiting at any of the neighboring estates? I want to know if I should pack a few of my fancier evening gowns."

"I would suggest taking one or two, but no more. We will only be there two weeks and we are really not acquainted with the neighborhood yet. Richard told me Lady Catherine had offended most of her neighbors at one point or another and neither gave nor received invitations to local events."

"What a lonely life to live. I feel so sorry for Miss de Bourgh. Not only was she ill, but she was so isolated by her mother's ways. And then to die so young. I find it very sad."

"Richard and Mr. Darcy had a memorial service for her, but I know it bothered them both that they had not even known about her death for months. They clearly wished they could have turned back the clock and done _something_ to help her. It just was not in their power. Since the house was our gift from Anne in a way, as well as a gift from her father, we will honor them both by making it a happy place, filled with love."

"I cannot think of a better way to honor them," said Jane.

0o0o0o0

 _AN: Sorry folks, short chapter today. RL intruded more than usual today and while I have a start on the next segment which was intended to round out this chapter, I am just ready to crash and burn. Can't even type straight at the moment. What comes next is important and I want to do it right, so I'm giving you what I have right now and you get either a longer than usual chapter or maybe even two chapters tomorrow. TTFN_


	58. Chapter 58

Finally, the morning of our journey arrived. It was Tuesday, March 31st, and we were about to leave for Kent. All of us had an inclination to bounce like Teddy or Mr. Bingley. I was certainly finding it hard to provide a good example of proper decorum and remind the young ladies to follow suit when I was smiling like a fool and wanting to shout with joy myself.

We had spent Monday making sure everything was properly packed and ready. The Bingleys brought their carriage to Longbourn and spent the night so we could make an early start. Apparently neither of them were early risers, so having them here would make it easier to leave on time. Richard still had a few things to finish up at camp, but insisted he would be ready the next morning, on the spot and on time to leave. Since _he_ had set the time for our departure Richard would be in everyone's brown books if he failed to show up when planned.

For this trip the Bennets insisted I was not to maintain my role of governess. We were traveling to the house where I would be mistress. No one wished to make that transition more difficult for me by having me arrive first as a servant. Starting with our preparations on Monday, I was Sophia to _all_ the members of the Bennet family. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet asked both Grace and me to address them as Uncle and Aunt. For all intents and purposes we were to be their nieces. Mr. Bingley was now Charles and he laughingly called me "Cousin".

Richard and I had also discussed terms of address with Teddy on Monday. As far as we were concerned, he was already our adopted son. The wedding would just make our status as a complete family official. "Uncle" Bennet allowed us to use the back parlor to sit down and talk with him.

"You may use it _only_ as long as young Teddy is with you. I will not have you taking advantage in this household, Philosopher!" he told Richard.

I saw his point, but I could also see Richard latch onto the words "in this household". Rosings was much larger and Richard was better acquainted with it. There would be times and places to steal a few kisses and have some truly private conversation. I trusted Richard not to press for more until after we were married.

"Why are we coming to sit in the back parlor, Miss York? Everyone else is getting ready for the trip." Teddy asked as we entered the room.

"We wanted to talk with you. Here we can do that without the distraction of ponies, horses and all the people. There are biscuits on that tray, so I expect you and Richard will be distracted by those for a few moments."

Richard and Teddy both grinned. Then Richard kissed my cheek and handed me into my seat before taking his. I put Teddy's glass of milk in front of him, poured tea for the two of us, took a few biscuits for myself and told them the rest should be split between them. Richard and Teddy divided them evenly between their two plates, teasing each other as they moved biscuits back and forth, pretending to each take more than their share. Once the division was done, they settled down to eating the biscuits.

After munching his first two biscuits Richard said, "We wanted to talk about names, Teddy. In particular what names you will use for us as your parents."

"Should I not be calling you "Colonel", sir?"

"Oh, there is nothing wrong with that for now, but after Sophia and I are married and we go back to Rosings as a family, I will no longer _be_ a colonel. As part of our wedding plans I will be changing my family name to York, just like Sophia's. I will then be Mr. York and Sophia will Mrs. York to people outside the family."

"Will I be Teddy York?"

"That is part of what we wanted to ask you," I said. "Mr. Bennet told us your full name is Thaddeus James Simons. Your first father's family name was Simons. You can keep that name to honor your first parents or you can take the York family name. If you do that, we think you should keep the name Simons, but add York to the end."

"Mr. Bennet called me "young Thaddeus" the other day. He said it was my big name and meant "courageous heart". He told me my nickname was Teddy and it was my little name, the name people use when I am a boy, like they called him "Tommy" when he was a boy. Will everyone call me Thaddeus after the wedding?"

"Not unless you want them to. A nickname is also what family uses, even when you become an adult, which is several years away for you, Teddy," Richard told him.

"I like being Teddy. I do not feel like Thaddeus right now. I also want to be a York. That way everyone knows I am your son, right?"

"Right. Then after the wedding I will be Mr. York and you will be young Master York to the servants and people outside our big family. Your full name will be Thaddeus James Simons York, but the family will call you Teddy. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"So now we know what we are going to call you, but what will you call us?"

"Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia call their mother and father "Mama" and "Papa", but that does not sound right to me. Can I just call you mother and father?"

""Of course, Teddy," I answered. "And if you wish, you can start now. That is why we are talking about it before the trip. We are all going to a new place and we want to get the best start we can there. The Bennet family do not want people there to know I am a governess because that might make it harder for me to take over as the mistress of Rosings. People in the neighborhood might look down on me and the servants may not obey as well if they know I was a servant myself. I will not lie about it if someone asks, but we will not volunteer the information. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have decided to adopt Grace and me as their nieces and since you will be my son they will consider you their great-nephew. All three of us are to call them "Uncle" or "Uncle Bennet" instead of Mr. Bennet and "Aunt" or "Aunt Bennet" instead of Mrs. Bennet."

"Are uncles and aunts like parents?"

"They can be, Teddy," Richard answered. "My Uncle George was more of a father to me than the man who really was my father. What it mainly means is they are _family_."

"Will Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia be my family too?"

"Yes, they are cousins," I told him. "You may just call them Kitty and Lydia, without the Miss."

"Like I call my sister just "Grace"?"

"Exactly," said Richard, "and be sure to call Mr. Bingley "Cousin Charles". It will make him laugh."

"Everything makes Mr. Bingley laugh." Teddy said, laughing himself. Richard and I joined in.

Teddy and Richard ate some more biscuits and then Teddy asked, "Why were you a servant, Miss...I mean, mother?"

I smiled at him, liking the sound of the new name. "Do you remember when your first mother and father died and Uncle Bennet brought you here to live?"

"Not really. It feels like I have always been here."

"Well, what happened is that your first father did not have much money or any relatives that anyone here knew about. Because you were a small child and could not pay for your keep, you could have been sent away to a workhouse or left to starve without a home. Uncle Bennet gave you a place to live and people like Mrs. Hill to look after you and make sure you were fed." He nodded.

"When _my_ father died I was much older, older even than Grace is now. He did have money and land, but because of the way the law works it all went to Lord Willoughby, who was a distant cousin of his."

"The bad man took _all_ your father's money?" Teddy asked in surprise.

"He did. He even took the money my father intended for my mother, Grace and me to live on. He _was_ a bad man, in many ways."

"What did you do?"

"I was old enough that I could work, so I became a governess. I stayed with a nice family and taught their daughter how to behave like a proper young lady. The father, Mr. Thompson, helped me find a place for my mother and Grace to live and he paid me well for my work so I could make sure they had enough food and clothes."

"He was a good man like Mr...Uncle Bennet."

"Yes, Teddy. He is a very good man. He and his family treated me well, like the Bennets do, but I was still a servant, because I worked for his family and was paid in return. Just like Mrs. Hill is a servant who works for the Bennets and is paid in return."

He thought about that and nodded. "Is there anything wrong with being a servant?"

"No, there is not. It is unusual for a servant to become the mistress of a big house, though. And some people, especially in the noble families, look down on servants and think them to be less worthy."

"My aunt, Lady Catherine, who lived in Rosings before it became mine would have looked down on Sophia and on you and treated you poorly. Even though Sophia is the daughter of a viscount, because she has worked to earn her keep and support her family, Lady Catherine would have considered her tainted. She would also have looked down on Mr. Bingley because his father was a tradesman even if he was wealthy. Some people are just like that. They want to feel superior to others and make up reasons why they are."

"What happened to your mother?" Teddy asked me.

"She became very sick and died. After that I sent Grace to school so she would have a place to live and people to look after her while I continued to work for the Thompson family."

"Did the Thompson family die too?"

"No, they are all very much alive. Miss Thompson learned her lessons very well and became a proper adult lady. She married a good man and did not need me for a governess anymore. I worked for a little while for another family, but the father was a bad man and I had to leave." I saw Richard look agitated at the reminder of Lord Rollins' poor behavior. "Mr. Gardiner brought me here to work for the Bennets and be the governess for Kitty and Lydia."

"So they can learn to be proper ladies too?" Teddy asked with a smile.

"Exactly. And they are doing a good job of it."

"They certainly are," laughed Richard. "I hardly recognize them from the wild and rude girls they were when I first arrived in Meryton."

"They are much better," Teddy said. "Mrs. Hill worried they would get into all kinds of trouble before. She has been happy with them since you came, mother."

"I have been happy with them too. They will probably still need a governess for a while, but they will have a new person to help them along after I marry Richard and we move to Rosings."

"We all have some big changes ahead of us, Teddy," Richard said seriously. "It is more than just new names and a new place to live. I will be learning how to act like a husband, a father and a responsible landowner instead of a colonel. Sophia will be learning how to act as a wife, a mother and the mistress of the house instead of a governess or the daughter of the landowner. You will be learning how to act as a son, a brother, a cousin and the young master. All the new things, even though they are good changes, will be overwhelming and frustrating to us at times. The most important thing to remember is we _are_ a family and we love each other."

Teddy told us he thought he understood. We had finished our snack and rose to go rejoin the others. Before I could pick up the tray Richard stopped me.

"There is one more thing you will need to become used to, Teddy," he said with a grin. "Occasionally you will see your mother and father doing this." He pulled me close and gave me a kiss, not as passionate as usual because of the audience, but still a very satisfying kiss.

Teddy laughed.

0o0o0o0

As predicted, Charles laughed the first time Teddy called him "Cousin Charles". We had already discussed the issue of names with him that morning when the Bennets told me I was to be their niece, but it still took him a little by surprise when Teddy asked, "Will you be joining father and me for inspection, Cousin Charles?"

Richard cocked and eyebrow at Teddy when they saw Charles' response and they both began to chuckle as well, as did Uncle Bennet, who stood nearby. When the fit of laughter calmed Charles asked, "What are we inspecting?"

Teddy looked up at Richard proudly. "Father says we need to inspect our horses and all the tack to make sure they are battle ready. That means there are no broken or worn straps on the tack and the horses are all sound and have no problems with their hooves or shoes. We also need to walk the carriages with the drivers to make sure they are in perfect working order."

"I have always trusted my grooms to look after that in the past, but since we are traveling with a colonel I suppose I should join the inspection team as well."

"As shall I," Uncle Bennet added.

The three men and the boy headed out to do their inspection. Jane and I smiled to watch them go. We talked as we sorted out items in the workbaskets we would take with us on the trip.

"So it is mother and father now, is it Sophia?"

"Yes. He did not feel right about "Mama" and "Papa". He has also decided to join Richard in becoming a York." We had discussed Richard's decision with the family the week before, so this was no surprise to any of them.

"I thought he probably would," Jane answered. "I know he was much too young to remember his parents and since he had even forgotten his family name it would make more sense for him to take the name of York."

"I think he likes the idea of belonging to a family."

"Charles will enjoy being a cousin as much as he has been enjoying having a new selection of sisters. He is a loving man who always wanted a big family around him. Louisa and Caroline are dear to him, but were not particularly kind or caring, even when they were all children."

"I arrived after they left, so I never met your husband's sisters. I have heard they were difficult to be around."

"Louisa, Mrs. Hurst, was not as unpleasant as their younger sister. I tried to be friendly with Caroline at the assembly where we all first met, but she did not want to be in Meryton and wished nothing to do with any of us. She was very rude that night and even more so later. Caroline had hoped to marry Will and tried many ways to attract his attention. When he rebuffed her advances she became angry and attacked him with a perfume bottle. He was bothered by the scent of her perfume and being drenched in so much of it made him very ill. It was passed off as a bad cold to prevent gossip, but the perfume was what did it."

"Poor Mr. Darcy!"

"Yes. He moved out of Netherfield and into the dower house as soon as he was well enough to stand. Mrs. Evans took care of him while he recovered."

"I had wondered why the Darcys lived in the Longbourn dower house while your husband was nearly all alone at Netherfield."

"Will came to show Charles how to run an estate, but he needed to get away from Charles' sisters. He also wanted to invite Georgiana to join him, but she did not get along well with Caroline either. Lizzy suggested the dower house as being close enough for Will to advise Charles without getting in the way or taking over and far enough that neither Will nor Georgiana would be bothered by Charles' sisters."

"A good solution then. How are Charles' sisters now? I remember you telling me the Hursts have left London and gone to stay with his family."

"Yes. The older Mr. and Mrs. Hurst did not like Caroline. She was very rude to them when Louisa first married and they were not very happy with Louisa either. I think part of it is because Charles' father was a tradesman, but Caroline's behavior was the final straw. The Hursts stayed with Charles most of the time. After Caroline married and became Lady Curlow, Louisa and her husband were able to return to the Hurst family estate."

"How is Lady Curlow settling in? The Curlow estate is in Dorset, is it not?"

Jane laughed softly, "Yes, it is far enough away that Charles can feel fond of his sister again. We get an update from Lord Curlow every month. Their estate is being rebuilt with Caroline's dowry and the prize money Lord Curlow earned in the navy before he inherited from his brother. He has paid off the debts and they are renewing relationships with the tenants and the village while they make careful improvements to the estate. From his reports Caroline is finding satisfaction in her role and seems happier than she was before. She has not written to Charles, but he says she never did before, not even when he was at school."

"So now your husband has you and a big family of Bennets to care about."

"And you, Grace and Teddy as well."

"I am proud to consider both of you family."

We finished our task and I went up to check on the young ladies. They had been helping each other pack their trunks. I hoped they had not over-packed. We would only be away two weeks, after all.

0o0o0o0

Now here we were on Tuesday morning, packed, dressed and preparing to leave. The fully inspected carriages stood outside with the trunks securely strapped on. Each lady had her workbasket for occupation on the trip and each carriage had a hamper of food inside. Richard had even arrived in time to join us for breakfast.

We had drawn lots to see who would ride in each carriage for the first leg of the trip. Aunt Bennet, Kitty and I were together in the Bennet carriage, while Lydia, Grace and Jane were to ride in the other. Mr. Bennet had decided to start the trip on his horse, although he was not sure he felt up to riding the whole of the journey.

Richard and Charles handed the ladies into the carriages and made sure we were comfortable and well settled. The footmen assigned to each carriage climbed up to their places. Uncle Bennet, Richard, Charles and Teddy mounted. We waved a farewell to Mrs. Hill, who had come to the door to see us off, then the carriages rolled down the drive with the men on their horses and a boy on his pony alongside.

The trip to Kent had begun.


	59. Chapter 59

No sooner had the carriage left the vicinity of Meryton than Aunt Bennet began to doze. Kitty and I shared a glance as we saw her mother lean against the side of the carriage and relax into sleep. We said nothing at first, not wanting to disturb her rest. We pulled out our knitting and tended to it. I had another sock on the needles. Richard and Teddy both assured me they were happily wearing their green socks that day. I was now working with a nice brown wool on another pair for Teddy.

Richard rode up close and peered in the window. He smiled when he saw the sleeping woman but said nothing to disturb her. The men were riding either alongside or just in front of the carriages to avoid the dirt thrown up by the wheels. I looked out to see Teddy happily riding Sooty just ahead and to the side of our carriage. Richard winked at me, then prompted Old Satan to take him back up next to the boy.

Sooty would not have been able to make this trip if he had been one of those tiny, short-legged ponies they use in the mines. One of the neighbors at Stone Landing bred those and, in addition to mine work, I knew very small children sometimes learned to ride on them or had them to pull small carts to drive around the lawn. Sooty had fine, well-proportioned lines and, aside from color, looked like a smaller version of Old Satan. In fact the relative differences in the size of the two approximated the relative difference in build of Teddy and Richard.

The weather had been dry enough lately that the roads were hard and clear of major obstructions. There were a few bumps and potholes on the way, but as long as the driver stuck to the ruts already worn into the road we had a fairly smooth ride. None of the bounces or bumps disturbed Aunt Bennet. It was not until we stopped for the first rest break that she stirred and fully woke up.

"How are you feeling, Aunt?" I asked her as she shook herself to wakefulness.

"A little better, Sophia. All the excitement over the trip kept me from sleeping well last night. I appreciate you girls allowing me my little nap."

"This was a good time to rest. We are still traveling on a road you have taken before."

"I do not remember traveling to London when I was little," said Kitty. "I have enjoyed watching all the new places we passed."

"It has been several years since we last visited the Gardiners, You were very young then." her mother confirmed as she made herself ready to exit the carriage.

Instead of waiting for the footman, Richard opened the door and handed the three of us out, giving Aunt Bennet special care. He made sure she was standing very steadily before turning back to help Kitty and me. I saw Uncle Bennet just dismounting while Teddy stood next to Sooty, talking with his pony and telling him to have a good rest before we continued on. Charles came up with Jane on his arm and Lydia and Grace following. After turning care of the horses and carriages over to the servants we all went into the inn at which we had stopped.

We had a cup of tea and a chance to refresh ourselves while giving the horses a short break. Richard spoke with some of the men in the inn's stable to ascertain road conditions ahead. We would be skirting around London on this trip, taking some of the lesser roads. He learned the ride might be bumpy, but there were no major problems like washed out bridges or recent activity by highwaymen. That report reassured us all, although mention of highwaymen did prompt some nervous fears from Aunt Bennet. She calmed a bit when Richard reminded her that even if there had been highwaymen they would be unlikely to attack a group like ours with so many men riding alongside.

For the next leg we decided to stay with the same groups in each carriage. This time Aunt Bennet stayed awake. The bumpier road made sure of that. It also made knitting difficult. After the third time I dropped a stitch and had to work it back up I returned my knitting to the workbasket.

"Sophia, do you think the people around Rosings will like us?" Kitty asked. She seemed to enjoy using my name. Both she and Lydia had admitted to being a little jealous before when their older sisters could address me familiarly while they had to call me "Miss York". They understood why, but they were still jealous.

"I think the people will be wary of us – servants, villagers and neighbors. Richard tells me Lady Catherine offended her neighbors and eventually cut ties with all of them. She meddled in the lives of the villagers and used her parsons to spy on them. She even bullied her servants while finding ways to blackmail them into staying with her. Richard and Mr. Darcy tried to make improvements, but never stopped Lady Catherine."

"So they will assume Richard is likely to be a bad master because he comes from the same family the same way you and Mrs. Annesley warned us people would assume bad things of our sisters if Lydia and I behaved poorly."

"Exactly, Kitty. The villagers in particular may have formed a bad opinion of Richard over the years that ties him to their opinion of Lady Catherine without taking into account that it was not his place to change his aunt. There should be some good will because he led the force that dealt with the smugglers. We will just have to make sure we treat everyone fairly and hope that any bad opinions will change in time."

"Would it help if you gave people gifts or lowered their rents for a quarter to make up for the damage Lady Catherine did?"

"Oh no, Kitty," said her mother before I could answer. "You cannot buy respect like that. If you give them gifts to make them like you they will become angry when the gifts stop. It is the money or the presents they will like, not you."

"Giving gifts to make up for Lady Catherine's behavior also sends the message the Richard really was responsible for changing her and feels guilty because he did not. We will make changes, which may include reducing rents or making repairs. We want to do so in a planned way with a clear message that we will treat people fairly with no connection to how Lady Catherine had behaved. We can acknowledge the wrong that was done in the past, but not take the blame for it."

"I think I understand, Sophia," Kitty said after a moment of thought. "You both want to come in as if you are brand new owners from outside the family, the same way Papa might if it were he that inherited Rosings without ever having been in contact with Lady Catherine."

"You do understand, Kitty. It will be difficult for Richard because he _does_ feel guilty for the way Lady Catherine behaved although there is little he or Mr. Darcy could have done to stop her. He also feels guilty for the way the smugglers terrorized the village, although he had nothing to do with that aside from resolving the problem. We have discussed the situation and both agreed to work it this way. He will not stop Mr. Darcy from making reparations to Lady Catherine's victims if he wishes, though." I finished with a chuckle.

"Will does want to save everyone," Aunt Bennet put in. "He is a good man. Lizzy will keep him from his tendency to solve problems by throwing money at them." She smiled at us and added, "Not that I mind spending money. It just does not always solve the problem."

"We have been working on that with the household budget, have we not, Mama?"

"Yes, I paid little attention to my spending before. Now we see where we can save to make our futures better should anything happen to your father. It seemed so pointless when _he_ never took an interest in managing the estate or saving for us. Now everything has changed and I do not feel so worried about the future."

"I like the way our family is now," said Kitty, "although I miss having Jane, Lizzy and Mary at home with us. I was not really friends with them before, but now I am and they are gone. It helps to have Grace living with us. I like thinking of her as my cousin and you, too, Sophia. I will miss you both when you move away."

"We are both happy to be part of the extended Bennet family," I told them. "No matter what the future brings you may always count on us to help."

Our conversation turned to the plans for the wedding and breakfast interspersed with observations of the countryside through which we rode. That carried us on to the next stop. We had our lunch at the inn, taking our hampers in to enjoy the food Mrs. Hill and the cook provided while ordering our drinks from the innkeeper. As Richard escorted me in I asked how Teddy was doing on the long ride.

"He is too excited to feel discomfort. I am keeping an eye on him, though. If I suspect he is getting blisters or just an aching backside I will ask him to ride with you in the carriage. He is doing very well right now and Sooty is showing the endurance I hoped he would."

I looked to where Teddy was escorting Grace, chatting excitedly as they went. "He appears very happy."

"This is his first big adventure. He would enjoy it just for the ride, but we have been playing games of the imagination with Bingley and Bennet. We started off the ride as knights guarding a party of travelers headed to the Holy Land. This last segment of the trip we have been caravan guards, watching over a precious shipment of jewels and silks from the Orient in addition to our precious family members. I have had him watching for signs of the bandits who lurk around the watering holes."

"As long as the bandits and highwaymen stay in your imaginations that sounds like a fun way to pass the journey."

"I can give no guarantees, dearest, but I do believe we are safe from the gentlemen of the road. I checked this route carefully before we left and there are none of that persuasion known to frequent it at this time. Even if there were, a highwayman would have to be as stupid as Collins to attack our group. Our drivers have their rifles in full view, as do the footmen. I am in uniform and carry my sword. Even a good size group of men would think twice or even thrice before attacking our party."

"I will trust in you and Teddy to keep us safe," I told him with a smile.

I was glad Richard had told me of their games, since Teddy brought them up as we sat together eating lunch. Without warning I would have been confused.

"We have kept the caravan safe, Mother," he told me in between bites.

"That is what Richard tells me. Did you spot any bandits?"

"There were some hiding in the hills before we made it to the inn, but we scared them off."

"I am glad you did. I would not want to face bandits myself or have them take our cargo."

"We will take good care of you," he said proudly.

"I never thanked the brave knights who guarded us on our journey to the Holy Land. Were you Sir Teddy or Sir Thaddeus?"

"Uncle Bennet said that a knight needed to use his big name, so I was Sir Thaddeus and Sooty was my noble steed. Uncle Bennet was Sir Thomas and he made sure the party of pilgrims was traveling in the right direction. Sir Richard and Sir Charles were out riders while Sooty and I guarded the party."

"It sounds like you are having some big adventures. Are you tired of riding?"

"No. I am happy on Sooty. Father says I will probably be sore tomorrow, but as long as I do not get blisters I should be fine. He says in the army they sometimes have to ride for many hours without even a lunch break. I asked him if we could play at being soldiers, but he told me that is not something he can play about. I hope we will keep being caravan guards. Uncle Bennet was telling me about some of the places the caravans visit. Have you ever heard about the desert?"

"Yes, but I have never seen one."

"It would be strange to be in a place with no grass or trees, just sand everywhere making hills and valleys and getting in your eyes. I am not even really sure what sand is, but Uncle Bennet says it is like very fine dirt, only light yellow or white. He told me when rocks wear away they become sand. I did not know that rocks _could_ wear away."

"You are learning a great many things on this trip."

"That makes it fun," he said with a smile. I noticed Richard had been listening to our conversation from my other side, even while he seemed to be in a conversation of his own with Charles and Jane. He gave me a wink and turned back to them. Everything was going according to his plan.

For the final leg of our trip Kitty decided to join Lydia and Grace in the Bingley carriage, while Jane came to join her mother and me. Since the three young ladies could not do much harm on their own in the confines of a carriage we agreed to the switch.

We would be returning to the main roads shortly and I expected to be able to resume my knitting before long. Jane and Aunt Bennet quietly conversed at first, but once we were on the smoother road Aunt Bennet dozed off again. Jane pulled out her embroidery and I enjoyed my knitting while watching the views out the window for probably an hour. We were riding through an area of rolling hills with stands of trees, but no houses in sight when our carriage suddenly came to a stop. Aunt Bennet woke with a start.

"Are we there already?" she asked, a little dazed.

"Not yet, Mama," Jane replied. "I think there might be some problem ahead."

Uncle Bennet rode up alongside us and asked us to stay in the carriage. He then went back to the Bingley carriage with the same request for our young ladies. None of us could really tell what the problem might be, but we stayed put as requested. A few minutes later Richard walked to the door and opened it.

"There is a carriage crash just ahead of us and some of the men are injured. Sophia, Jane, how are you at treating injuries?"

Jane went a little green at just the question. Before I could answer Aunt Bennet spoke up.

"Jane has never felt comfortable dealing with injuries, but _I_ am quite capable, young man. Just hand me down and I will see what I can do."

"I will join you," I said. "Jane, would you be more comfortable waiting in the carriage with your sisters and Grace instead of sitting here alone?"

"Yes, please." She placed her embroidery back in the work basket.

Richard handed all three of us out. Jane immediately headed for the other carriage, sparing not a glance for the crash ahead of us. Richard carefully escorted Aunt Bennet while I walked at his other side.

"Watch your step here, Aunt Bennet," he said, adopting the same name I had been given permission to use. "The ruts make the footing a little dangerous."

The carriage lay on its side and roof in the ditch along the side of the road. It was in bad shape and the door was blocked by the wall of the ditch. The horses had broken partially free in the crash and Charles was seeing to them. Uncle Bennet was helping an injured man who was probably the driver while Teddy was talking with two others who were probably footmen.

"Who is most badly injured?" Aunt Bennet asked.

"The driver," Richard said. "He is there with your husband."

Aunt Bennet dropped Richard's arm and headed over to the injured man.

"We need to get these two away from the carriage and taken care of. Once Charles has the horses settled we will attempt to turn the carriage enough to see to the passengers. We were able to confirm they are both alive. There was one footman who did not make it. He is in the field there, poor fellow."

Two of our footmen assisted Richard in moving the injured footmen. I got rugs from the carriage to wrap them in and sent Teddy to get a rug from the Bingley carriage for the driver who was being looked at by Aunt Bennet. I also sent him for the flasks of cold tea we still had in the hampers. We got the injured men settled as comfortably as possible and helped them to drink a bit. One of the men was merely bruised and in shock. The other clearly had a broken arm as well as a number of bruises, including some to the head. I could not do much for them, but gave what comfort I could.

Richard and Charles held conference with our footmen trying to determine how to raise the carriage enough to get at the passengers. If it had been less sturdily built, or if we had hatchets along they could have simply pulled apart the side that was showing. The windows were too small for an adult to get through. Richard did not want to use his sword to hack into the wood except as a last resort. The cuts would be less easy to control than a hatchet and he risked harming the passengers.

"If we could just get a rope in through the window on the other side we could get enough leverage to raise the carriage," Richard suggested.

"There is a gap, sir, but it is too small for us," one of the footman said from the far side of the carriage.

"I can do it, Father!" Teddy said. "I am small enough to get in."

Richard examined the gap the footman had indicated, then called for the rope. He advised Teddy to crawl through the gap and into the carriage by the window with the rope tied around him and then come up by the small window on the open side.

"Be especially careful not to hurt the injured men inside," Richard told him. "If you cannot get through the window then see if you can pass the rope to the men for them to throw through the window."

He tied the rope around Teddy's waist and guided him into the gap. While Teddy crawled through Richard cleared the small window on the visible side of any remaining shards of glass. It seemed to take hours, but it was really only a few minutes before Teddy's head appeared in the window. Richard carefully pulled him out and they had the rope set.

They attached additional ropes to the frame of the carriage. With our footmen ready to pull on the sides, Richard mounted Old Satan, wrapping the main rope Teddy had set around the back of his saddle below the cantle, then tying it to the other end of the rope to form a loop. At his signal the footmen began to pull while Richard had his horse take the main weight and back away. Uncle Bennet kept an eye on all the ropes to make sure they were pulling consistently and not fraying, while Charles got ready to push from the other side and remove the injured men quickly if he could.

Both the angle of the ditch and the weight of the carriage made the pulling difficult. A lesser horse than Old Satan probably could not have managed. I was afraid he might balk at the task, showing his stubborn side, but he used his stubbornness to drag the carriage up and around to where Charles could get at the door and help the two occupants scramble out. Only then did the pulling team allow the carriage to settle as they released the tension on the ropes.

Richard unhooked the now slack rope from the back of the saddle, grimacing a bit at the damage to the leather. He turned front and patted Old Satan on the neck, congratulating him on his successful work. Dismounting smoothly he went to help Charles and Uncle Bennet escort the two injured passengers to the Bennet carriage. I saw him startle a little as he recognized one of the men.

"I would say "good day", Bishop Parkhurst," he said, "but it does not appear to have been a very good day for you."

"On the contrary, Colonel Fitzwilliam, while it may have had its low point, with help of your party it has turned into a much better day than it could have been. You have my thanks for your assistance, especially the young lad who came burrowing through the window with the rope to save us. I say good day to you all and consider us very well met."


	60. Chapter 60

Charles and Richard helped Bishop Parkhurst and his companion, a Mr. Colton, to a seat on the grass near his two footmen. The bishop received the news of the other footman's death with sorrow.

"Parker was a good man. Can we do anything for him?"

"With your permission, my lord," Richard said, "Your conveyance is probably a total loss at this point. I suggest we load your luggage and all other property we can remove from it onto our vehicles. If you and your men can travel in one of the carriages, we can tie the horses behind to take them with us. Before we go, we will wrap your man in one of the rugs. We can then either carry him on top of the carriage or leave him where he is likely to be undisturbed and have someone from the next village along return with a cart to collect him as well as send someone to collect the wreckage of your vehicle. How would you care to proceed?"

Bishop Parkhurst thought for a few moments. He and his companion had been thrown around the inside of the carriage during the crash and were both fortunate to have suffered no more than bumps and bruises. It was clear, however, the bishop was in in pain in addition to his sorrow for the loss of his servant. After considering the matter he spoke.

"May I assume you and your party are on your way to Hunsford?"

"Yes, my lord."

"I was hoping that might be the case. I received your notice of the deaths of Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine. As you know, our committee had held off on taking final action on Mr. Collins' status while we determined if there were sufficient grounds to remove the advowson for the living at Hunsford from the control of the Rosings Park estate. We did not find such grounds and were at the point where we needed to make a permanent decision of some kind regarding Mr. Collins when we received your news. When I received your later note that you would be willing to appoint the curate, Mr. Greene, to the living if that met my approval and you retained the advowson, I determined to visit Mr. Greene to examine him and confirm his suitability for the post. He informed me that you would be visiting Rosings this week with your betrothed and her family. I set out today in hopes of completing my examination of Mr. Greene and speaking with you about the appointment. I say again, well met."

"We are on our way to Rosings Park and would be happy to host you and your companions. I judge from previous trips we are a little more than an hour away. There is a village about 10 minutes or so along the road here."

"I think your advice is good. Please have your people transfer my trunks and strip anything of value from the vehicle. While that is being taken care of I should like to speak with this young woman, who I assume is your betrothed, and with the boy who carried the rope. If you will favor me with an introduction?"

Richard introduced me as his betrothed and Teddy as his adopted son. He also provided an introduction to Charles and the Bennets, who assisted the coachman to a place on the grass near the other injured men. Richard then set to the business of transferring any items of value onto the Bennet carriage.

"Who is in the second carriage?" Bishop Parkhurst asked me.

"The remainder of our family, my lord. My sister and three of the Bennet daughters."

"I remember now, the Duke of Montrose mentioned Mr. Darcy married a woman named Bennet and something about her having four sisters. Would you be the same Bennets?"

"Yes, my lord," Uncle Bennet answered. "I have five daughters. The eldest is married to Mr. Bingley and is one of the three in the carriage. My second eldest is married to Darcy. The middle daughter married a physician who currently resides in London and my two youngest are also in the carriage. My eldest does not do well around those who are injured or severely ill, so I think she will choose to stay in the carriage for now."

"No matter. I shall make the acquaintance of all the young ladies when we reach Rosings." He turned to his coachman, who was still being tended by Aunt Bennet. "Lawrence, can you tell me how the carriage overturned? All I know is that we were fine one minute and rolling head over heels the next."

"Yes, my lord," said the man a little shakily. "It were two young chubbs driving a curricle over fast that caused the accident. They came roaring over that rise there, whipping their poor horses to top speed. They tipped as they rounded the turn and were all over the road. They scared our horses who started to run towards that ditch and then their curricle scraped along one side of the coach just as we hit a rock on that lip by the side of the ditch. It flung us up and over. Parker and I were both thrown off as were Johnson and Smythe. We three landed more or less all right, but poor Parker hit just wrong. Them two in the curricle just continued on their way still whipping up the horses. I do not rightly know how long it was after that before these folks spotted us and stopped to help. I feel a little fuzzy in the head like if I had a few too many ales."

"Thank you, Lawrence. You rest yourself. We will get a physician to look after us all once we hit Rosings Park." The Bishop sat quietly for a bit. We all watched as Richard took a small notebook and pencil out of his saddle bag and scribbled a note. He folded the note and gave it to one of the footmen, motioning him to take Mr. Bennet's horse and ride ahead to the village, presumably to get a cart to convey the dead footman and to have the wreck dealt with.

"It looks like I shall be riding with you and your men in the carriage, my lord," Uncle Bennet said. "There goes my horse."

"I hope we can stand one another's company," Bishop Parkhurst replied in a teasing tone.

"Are you a chess player, my lord?"

"I am, indeed. You would have the advantage of me now with this headache I am sporting."

"I would not wish to take advantage. We can play another time then."

"I look forward to it. Miss York, did I understand rightly? Both you and the colonel are adopting the boy there?"

"Yes, my lord. Teddy is an orphan whose parents were tenants of Uncle Bennet. He has shown his courage and worth several times in the last months and the colonel and I decided to adopt him as our son. We have already given him leave to call us his mother and father, although our wedding is not until June 1st. In fact it was Teddy who discovered Mr. Collins and stopped him when he broke into Longbourn in an attempt to kidnap Mrs. Darcy."

"He seems a good sort to have around in an emergency. We could hear a little of what they were planning from inside the wreck, but I was still surprised when the young lad wiggled his way through the broken window beneath us. He explained he was bringing a rope through to the other window and asked if we were badly hurt because his father told him to be careful not to hurt us while he worked. Colton was at an angle where he could help your lad climb to the other window. Then he was gone as quickly as he came, leaving only a rope trail to show he had been there."

"He was eager to help. That is Teddy's nature."

"Clearly he looks up to the colonel. See him there following his every move."

Richard was helping transfer items from the wreck to the Bennet and Bingley carriages and Teddy trailed behind him carrying smaller items. The bishop's trunks had survived the wreck intact and had already been moved and strapped on. We watched as Richard and Teddy worked together to secure the items Teddy carried. Man and boy headed over to where we sat.

"My lord," Richard began, "We have transferred everything of value we could see. Did you have anything in hidden compartments that should be removed?"

"Colton brought the case with my important documents out with him and has them there along with the pistol we kept for protection. That was everything I can think of."

"Then if you are ready we can help you and your men into the Bennet carriage. A cart should be arriving soon to transport your man, Parker. In fact I think I see it coming over the rise now. We will make sure his remains are handled with respect."

"Thank you, Colonel. Do you have any objection to having him buried at Hunsford? He has no family that I am aware of and I would like to make sure he is properly attended."

"No objections at all, my lord. I will make the arrangements."

"Very well. Let us see if you and that lad of yours can help me off the ground here."

Richard did most of the helping to get Bishop Parkhurst on his feet, but Teddy offered his shoulder as support for the walk to the carriage. Charles and Uncle Bennet helped the less injured men, then Richard brought the strongest of the footmen over and between them they carried the coachman to the Bennet carriage and got him settled. Uncle Bennet joined them all inside and I headed over to the Bingley carriage.

Richard came to hand me in, giving me a kiss on the check first. "You and Aunt Bennet can tell the ladies what happened. We will be stopping in the village for a short while to make arrangements about the wreck."

Once I was inside, he handed Aunt Bennet in very carefully and made sure she was well settled before he closed the door. Jane was in the corner furthest from from the side of the wreck as she did not want to chance seeing anything out of the windows. Kitty, apparently of like mind, was also on the far side of the carriage. Lydia and Grace had been watching us out the near side windows and had only moved to the center of the benches to make room for Aunt Gardiner and me.

"Richard said you would tell us what happened, Sophia," Lydia said eagerly. "What did happen?"

As the carriage rolled along to the village, I explained to them how the crash happened. I told them the passengers included the bishop who was in charge of the area and who had investigated Mr. Collins.

"What was the cart for?" Lydia asked. "They could not take the wreck away on it."

"One of the bishop's footman was killed in the wreck. The cart will carry him to Hunsford so he may be buried in the churchyard there."

"Poor man," said Kitty. "He was just doing his job and now he is gone."

"It happens like that sometimes, Kitty," her mother said kindly. "We never know when or how our time will come."

We came to a stop outside a busy looking inn. The village was about the size of Meryton and the inn looked like a regular stop for many people taking the road we had been on. I saw Richard dismount, just draping Old Satan's reins over a nearby post. He had Teddy stay on Sooty and directed him towards Charles. There was quite a bustle of people coming and going as I watched Richard speaking with a man who looked like a blacksmith. They were probably discussing what to do with the wreck.

As I looked around again I noticed a young man by Old Satan. He quietly lifted the reins from the post and started to lead the horse a little away from where Richard had left him. I tried to catch Richard's eye to warn him. He looked my way and just winked. He had seen the man and wanted to see what happened.

The would-be thief, thinking himself unobserved, led Old Satan to a mounting block and pulled himself up into the saddle. He pointed the horse back the way we had come and prompted him to start walking. Old Satan appeared to cooperate until he came up next to a large trough of water. With a quick and clearly well-practiced movement he tossed the unsuspecting man off his back and into the trough. Then the horse turned and went right back to where Richard had left him, standing there with what could only be a smirk on his face.

Richard dissolved into laughter as the thief's shouts alerted everyone to his predicament. Teddy had clearly caught the end of the scene as he and Charles were both laughing uproariously as well. The others in my carriage had been looking the other way and now demanded an explanation as I started to laugh as well.

"What is it, Sophia? What is so funny?"

"What is that man doing in the water trough? Is that what you are laughing at?"

"What happened?"

I explained the events to them. Lydia and Grace were both sorry they had missed seeing the horse stop his own theft. A crowd had gathered by now to pull the thief from the trough and laugh at him. Richard came over to them and loudly told the man he deserved no better for having tried to steal a horse and would have gotten worse if he had ridden much further away. He spoke more quietly with a few other men. Some of them hustled the thief away, leaving a trail of water behind them.

Eventually Richard came over to the two carriages. He had a word through the door with the occupants of the Bennet carriage and then came over to us and opened the door.

"Now that we have had our diversion, we are heading on to Rosings Park. We should be there in about an hour. I've sent a rider ahead to have rooms prepared for our additional guests and to alert the apothecary. I sent one of the footman off to London earlier to see if Dr. Burrows wanted to come tend to the bishop and perhaps bring Mary along to visit for a few days. If he cannot get away he will send another good physician in his place. I do not trust any of the local physicians Lady Catherine had tending to Anne."

Kitty and Lydia both bounced in their seats. "Oh, I hope Mary can come!" Kitty said.

"Yes, that would be so fun!" Lydia added. Aunt Bennet just looked hopeful.

"Well, nothing is certain, ladies. We shall just have to see what happens. First, let us finish our trip to Rosings." With a smile for us all and a wink to me he closed the door and went off to mount his horse. The carriage started with a slight jerk and we were on our way.

* * *

0o0o0o0

 _AN: Happy December 25th! I wish you joy whatever the day may mean to you. For myself I am off to share Christmas dinner with whatever members of my family are willing to brave the snow (A white Christmas! Wheeee!) and meet at our usual gathering spot. I hope you enjoyed the little bit of humor our favorite horse provided. I promise we will actually arrive at Rosings tomorrow. Cheers!_


	61. Chapter 61

_AN: Hoora!, I was finally able to load this to doc manager. Let us hope it posts. And here I had it ready for you a couple hours early yesterday Oh well, success at last!  
_

* * *

At first view I found Rosings Park far more imposing than I expected. It stood as an edifice of darkness and light. The time blackened stone took balance from the sun-brightened windows. Those windows! The cost of the glazing alone must have been impressive. The subsequent window taxes would be equally so. They certainly made a statement.

I was not the only one in the carriage with my mouth threatening to hang open as we rode up the drive to the main entrance. All the other ladies in the carriage were staring as well. Even Lydia was speechless. Aunt Bennet pulled out her handkerchief and fluttered it feebly, but could not find the words to express her surprise that she would be an honored guest in such a house.

Almost before I knew it, we were stopped and Richard opened the door to hand us out. Teddy stood right behind him, not nearly as affected as the rest of us. I suppose to him it was a big building.

"It is just a house, remember," Richard said to all of us in the carriage. "It is our job to fill it with happy memories. I trust you all to help me do that. Lady Catherine is _not_ waiting for us inside."

He handed down Aunt Bennet first and Teddy stepped forward to offer her his arm.

"Please lean on me, Aunt," he said. "I will see you safe inside."

She took his arm gratefully, still at a loss for words. Richard handed me out, along with Lydia and Grace. Charles stepped forward to assist Kitty and Jane. I saw grooms leading the two horses and the pony away, hopefully to give them a good rub down and a meal.

Uncle Bennet stepped out of the first carriage. I could see he was impressed as well. He had no ready joke for Rosings.

The staff lined up at the entry to greet us. I held Richard's left arm, while Grace stood to his right. Uncle Bennet took his wife's arm and Lydia took her mother's place with Teddy. Charles followed behind with Kitty and Jane.

Richard presented the butler, Mr. Harrow and the housekeeper, Mrs. Appleton. He identified our party for the staff, along with the relationships we wished to present, then he cut the proceedings short.

"Full introductions can wait. We have five injured guests in the carriage. I will require the assistance of several footmen to carefully bring them inside. Bishop Parkhurst and Mr. Colton, his secretary should have rooms in the guest wing as requested in the note I sent. Please make the bishop's coachman and footmen comfortable in the visiting servants quarters. Has the apothecary arrived?"

"Yes, sir. He awaits the injured men inside. We have prepared the rooms in accordance with your instructions."

Richard acknowledged the news and guided me, followed by the remainder of our party, into the house. Several footmen peeled off from the line of servants to assist our injured guests to their rooms. The remaining staff disbursed aside from the housekeeper and a few of the maids. Bishop Parkhurst came in supported by two strong footmen.

"I hope you intend to redecorate this entry," he said. "I know it was intended to _im_ press, but the effect does nothing more than _de_ press my spirits."

"I thank you, sir," said Uncle Bennet. "Those were exactly the words I was trying to find."

I looked around at the forest of paintings that covered every available space of wall and turned what should have been a light and open area into a cave of muted colors flecked with the occasional gilt edged frame.

"We do intend to redecorate," I replied. "I expect most of those paintings are valuable. When we clear the wall we should be able to sell many of them and only rehang those that truly complement this space. We can think on that more later. I expect all of us would like to settle into our rooms and wash away the dust of today's travel."

As I followed the maid assigned to me up to my room I felt that same sense of gloom and darkness despite the many gilded decorations and rich fabrics. It did depress rather than impress. Everything was simply overdone. If nothing more pressing came up, I would have the servants start clearing the walls first thing the next day. I wondered if we could hire people from the village to help. That could be a subtle way to help make reparations for what had been stolen from them. At first I thought I would discuss it with Richard later, then I realized Aunt Bennet might be a better option first. She would have more idea how the villagers might react.

The suite assigned to me followed the same theme as the public areas of the house. Dark colors, heavily ornamented furnishings and too much of everything. Lord Willoughby's men clearly did not steal much from the house. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by it as well. Or possibly Lord Willoughby kept them in check, thinking to take the house for his own. Making this house a proper home looked like a very big job.

My maid, Sally, showed me where to refresh myself and wash up while she unpacked my small collection of recently purchased gowns from my trunk. Aunt Bennet had insisted I order them, saying I needed to dress as a gentlewoman again instead of a governess. I also had a few of Jane's older gowns which Lydia, Kitty and Grace had helped me refurbish. Gossip in the servants hall would not be about the quality of my clothing, I hoped.

I had changed into a fresh gown and was considering the best way to rejoin my companions when there was a knock on the door to my sitting room. Sally answered and told me my sister was requesting entry. I immediately invited Grace in, then dismissed both Sally and the maid who had shown Grace to my room.

"It is all so much, Sophia," Grace said, sinking into one of the ornate chairs. "I simply feel smothered by all these things."

I sat in the chair next to hers. It proved to be very uncomfortable.

"I agree, Grace. We will have to put our heads together with Aunt Bennet and come up with an efficient way to clear the excess from this house. We may be able to sell much of it in London. There are always people with more money than taste to be found there. I wonder if Mr. Gardiner would have a good contact to help us?"

"I have not yet met the Gardiners, but Lydia and Kitty say their Uncle Gardiner has many contacts in town. He always seems to find whatever they or their family need."

"He is a very good man and I believe he is very successful in his business. Richard has been working with him on the issues with the smugglers. I owe Richard an apology. I had not truly believed Rosings could be as depressing as he said. Instead I find that it is worse. There is much work needed to turn this place into a home."

"Why would anyone make chairs this uncomfortable?" Grace asked with a slight bounce in her seat.

"I honestly do not know. Shall we find Richard? He can tell us where the comfortable chairs are in this house."

"I think we should find Teddy first. He must feel lost in this huge place."

"Good idea. It certainly beats sitting around in these chairs. I will ring for the maid."

When Sally answered my ring she told me Teddy had been placed in the nursery. At my request she showed us the way.

We found Teddy happily situated in probably the most comfortable room in the house. At any rate, it was the least decorated. The good sized chamber had plain, whitewashed walls adorned with a few oak cupboards. Three small beds were lined up along the wall in one corner of the room and a child sized table sat in the opposite corner, with three small chairs pulled up to it. An adult size rocking chair sat near the beds next to a window hung with simple curtains of a light green color. A second adult size chair sat near the table. Teddy sat on a worn carpet covering the wooden floor, playing with a set of battered wooden soldiers who had long lost any color to their uniforms or faces.

He looked up as we entered the room. "Mother! Grace! I found these soldiers in the cupboard. Do you want to play with me?"

Grace sat down on the carpet near Teddy. I pulled one of the small chairs over and perched on that. We spent several minutes moving soldiers around at Teddy's directions. It was certainly more fun than thinking about the state of the house.

"Here you are."

I looked up at the sound of Richard's voice. He stood in the doorway, watching us with a smile.

"I remember those," he said on catching sight of the soldiers. "Will and I played with them the few times we came to visit Aunt Catherine when we were young. I think they must have belonged to Sir Lewis when he was a boy. They had no more paint when I first played with them than they do now."

Richard dropped down on the floor next to me and picked up one of the wooden figures.

"The best part was we could imagine them to be anything since they have no colors to define them. They could be soldier from any army at any time in history. They could be Greeks fighting the Persians or Romans fighting in Gaul. They did not even have to be soldiers. They could be caravan guards or even just the men going out on a hunt. My mother and Aunt Anne told us stories and we could play the stories out with these fellows."

"I like them," said Teddy simply.

"Well, they are yours now," said Richard. "I may find you some properly painted ones sometime too."

"At Christmas I played with Edward and Franklin Gardiner. We had soldiers that Lydia and Kitty painted."

"Lydia found those in the attic when we were readying the nursery. They were Uncle Bennet's when he was a boy. Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana all painted them so they would look more festive." I said.

"The painted ones were fun to play with, but I think I like these as they are. I can do like Father did and think of them as anything at all."

Richard looked at the soldier he still held. "Well, what are they right now?" he asked.

Teddy gestured as he explained, "These men are the caravan guards and those are the merchants. The ones by Mother are the bandits who will race out of the hills and attack."

The bandits made an attack on the merchant band and were repulsed by the superior strategies of the caravan guards. They fell back and were regrouping for another attack when a maid looked into the room.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, dropping a curtsy. "Mr. Bingley, Mr. Bennet and some of the ladies were wondering where the family should gather before the evening meal."

Richard sighed. "I suppose it should be the throne room, um, I mean, the drawing room."

"Wait," I said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Is there a library or perhaps the study?" I already knew that the "throne room" would be worse than anything I had seen in this house yet.

Richard brightened. "The library! Yes, direct the family to the library. It will end up being Bennet's favorite room in the house anyway. We might as well start there."

The maid bobbed another curtsy and left. Richard scrambled to his feet and offered a hand to help me rise. When I got to my feet I received a kiss on the cheek. "Good thinking, Sophia. I despise the throne room."

He offered a hand to Grace while asking Teddy, "Will you be fine in the nursery by yourself or did you wish to join us in the library?"

"I think I would like to come along with you, Father. May I bring a few soldiers to play with in the corner while the adults talk?"

"That sounds like a good idea. We can put the rest of them away and you can carry three or four down. I will just have to trust you not to leave them around underfoot."

"Yes, sir!"

We all helped put the soldiers, aside from the four he indicated, into the cupboard. After Grace and I quickly dusted down our dresses, the four of us followed as Richard led us to the library.

"Father, why is this house so dark?" Teddy asked as we walked towards the stairs. "I thought with all the windows it would be bright inside."

We were walking along an outside corridor that should have been brightened by the windows that lined one side of it. All of them were hung with heavy brocade curtains pulled almost closed. The slits exposed had an interior drape of lighter fabric that diffused the sunlight coming in.

"This house used to belong to my Aunt Catherine. It reflects how she liked things. There was very little light in her life. We will be changing that." He walked over to the next window along and pushed aside the inner curtain. Light filled the corridor, although much of it was swallowed by the dark paintings on the opposite wall. All four of us gathered at the window and looked down at the side garden with its carefully trimmed hedges and formal maze.

We stepped back and Richard dropped the curtain. The corridor seemed even darker by contrast. Richard sighed and we continued on our way to the library.

We made our way into a large room that served as the library. The room, which sat at a corner of the house, had an L shape. Windows lined the two outer walls but gave only muted light due to the curtains, which were similar to those in the corridor. Bookshelves stood between each window. The four walls that made up the interior of the L were also dotted with bookshelves. The main double door sat near the interior corner of the L on the longer side. A large fireplace sat at that end of the room. The end of the shorter length of room had a small single door Richard later told me led to the study. A large leather-covered sofa sat facing the fireplace, flanked by two matching armchairs. A few other armchairs were strewn around the room. Near one window was a huge writing desk with matching chair. A few ugly pieces of statuary stood in niches between the bookshelves, but aside from that and the dim light, it was a fairly pleasant room.

Uncle Bennet, who was already seated in an armchair, looked up from the book he was reading. "If I may speak plainly, Philosopher, this house is a fright. However, the library shows promise."

"Sir Lewis loved books to read, while Aunt Catherine saw them as showing status. She generally ignored this room, so Will and I made it our refuge when we visited."

"It does need a small improvement right now," I said. I moved to the nearest window and pulled aside the interior curtain. The room brightened considerably, although the statues in their niches looked even uglier. I went to the next window along and repeated the process. I was working on the third window, while Richard attacked one at the other end of the room, when Charles and Jane entered, followed by the others of our party.

"I was beginning to think we would spend our whole visit in the dark," said Charles. "It is amazing that a house with so many windows could have so little light."

"Really, Richard," said Aunt Bennet as she entered. "I know you said the house was bad, but I never expected something like this." She found an armchair and sank into it.

Teddy took his soldiers and sat on the carpet near Uncle Bennet to play with them. The others found seats to their liking while Richard and I finished opening curtains.

"I suspect it has been decades since the room has seen this much light," Richard said with a laugh as we pulled the last curtain open. He led me to a seat and then pulled the chair from the writing desk over next to me and sat on that. I decided to start the planning

"Uncle Bennet, do you think Mr. Gardiner would have any contacts who could be trusted to catalog, remove and sell a large number of paintings and other decorative items?"

"I was considering exactly that question on the way down from my room. There is so much, it is hard to even see what you have. Getting rid of the lot seems a good idea as long as there is nothing of sentimental significance. The only thing to be cautious of will be the rumors that you are retrenching or on the edge of financial ruin if it is understood that you are selling large quantities of household items. That could tarnish your reputation _and_ drive down the price."

"Perhaps he would know someone discreet," said Richard. "Someone who could sell the items in lots without identifying the source. I would rather not have too much gossip flying about us although I do not bother myself with the opinions of the Ton."

"A house this large should have a few empty back rooms," Aunt Bennet said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could set the footmen to removing every other painting on the walls and we could stack them up in bunches in one of the rooms. If we remove all those lengths of linen hanging between the brocade curtains we can use them to drape over the paintings and protect them while we wait for them to be evaluated. We could use another room for storing some of the excess decorative items. Even taking half the paintings down would lighten the space considerably."

I spoke up. "I have been wondering what was actually stolen, Richard. This hardly looks like a house that was ransacked."

"The servants have cleaned up and put things back largely the way Lady Catherine liked them. When Darcy and I came before, furnishings had been tossed around in most of the rooms. This room had books piled on the floor and the desk had been emptied out. The study next door was in the same shape. What they primarily stole were a large number of smaller ornaments. Lady Catherine had a collection of trinket boxes made of gold and studded with precious stones. She kept them displayed in a locked glass cabinet that was completely shattered. The drawing room is ringed with shelves that are just higher than the average person can reach. She displayed a collection of valuable statuettes which were all stolen as well. Of course, as overdone as the decoration here is, one would never miss the variety of small geegaws that are gone."

"Did your aunt have any family jewelry or other items of that sort?" Lydia asked.

"She did. There were de Bourgh family pieces which are part of the estate and there were several pieces Aunt Catherine received as gifts or purchased for herself. Most of the pieces were in the hidden safe and were not discovered by the thieves. I will allow you ladies to look through the jewelry sometime during the visit. Perhaps if we have a rainy day and you need some amusement that would entertain you."

"I think we will have plenty of work to keep us busy even on a rainy day," I said, laughing.

"You cannot say I did not warn you," said Richard with a smile. "Welcome to Rosings Park, Dearest."


	62. Chapter 62

I liked Aunt Bennet's idea for clearing some of the extra items out and making the house a little less overwhelming. Whether Rosings had a few empty rooms or not, we could find a way to create storage space. I dreaded the idea of taking a full tour of the house, but it would have to be done – tomorrow.

"Richard, do we have enough staff to assist with the clearing and cleaning while still managing the day to day needs of the household with all the members of our family group being here?"

"We did lose several staff members after the incidents with the smugglers. There should be enough staff to see to our family and we probably have enough footmen to deal with moving some of the pictures and other items. We will just have to pace the work."

"I was thinking about whether we would want to get temporary help from some of the villagers. Aunt Bennet, how would a request of the sort be taken?"

"I think pulling in help from the village for this kind of task could go badly," she responded. Richard said his aunt had a tendency to meddle. I would expect people are still a bit angry about it. Bringing them here to clear out such excess would seem like rubbing their faces in your wealth and status. I would expect a good deal of not so accidental breakage."

"So the slow and steady approach using the staff we have will probably be more effective and cause less hurt feelings than trying to clear it all at once," I acknowledged with a sigh.

"I am afraid so, dear."

A footman entered and quietly let Richard know the apothecary wished to update him on the status of his patients. Richard excused himself and followed the man out.

"I hope the bishop and his men will be all right," Kitty said. "It is a shame the drivers of the curricle were unharmed, but the bishop's carriage suffered so much damage."

"I expect the young men in the curricle will have their own upset some time if they keep driving like that," Uncle Bennet told her. "The vehicles are very unstable and offer little protection to the passengers. Bishop Parkhurst was fortunate his carriage was exceedingly well built and upholstered. It protected him well, even if the quality of the woodwork made it more difficult for us to assist him after the crash."

"Did you ever drive too fast when you were young, Papa?" Lydia asked.

"No, Lydia. I never had the opportunity. In fact, I never have learned to drive a vehicle of any sort. My father held the opinion prevalent among the older generation that men who rode in carriages were weak and effeminate. Proper men rode horseback. Only the very old, the very ill or women and children rode in carriages. I tried to convince him that times had changed and the ability to drive or ride in a carriage showed your high status, but he would have none of it."

"That is silly," said Lydia.

"Perhaps to you, my girl, but it was serious business to your grandfather."

Our discussion turned to the events of the trip. Lydia said she was sorry to have missed Old Satan's set-down of the would-be thief. Uncle Bennet and Teddy both laughed.

"I saw what was happening and thought to alert the colonel, but he was clearly aware of the whole thing," Uncle Bennet said. "After the thief mounted, Bishop Parkhurst noticed and was just asking if that was not the colonel's horse when Old Satan gave what seemed to be an exaggerated shake of his shoulders and tossed the man in the trough. I did not even need to confirm it was the colonel's horse when he walked right back to where he had been left. The poor bishop hurt when he laughed, but he said he could not help himself. We chuckled about the image off and on for the rest of the trip."

"I was going to chase the man, but Father motioned for me to stay put." Teddy said through his laughter. "That man sure did yell when he hit the water."

"Lizzy will enjoy that story when I write to her of it," Uncle Bennet added, still laughing. "In fact she will enjoy each version she receives in letters from the rest of you as well."

"I was looking elsewhere and missed the whole thing except the very end when the horse tossed him in the trough. I have never seen a horse move quite like that," Charles added.

"And everyone in our carriage except for Sophia was looking the other way," said Grace.

"I hope Mary and Daniel come to join us, at least for a few days," Jane said when the laughter died down a bit. "I am sorry the bishop and his men were injured, but he could not ask for a better physician than Daniel and I would love to see Mary."

There was general agreement for both sentiments and several people indicated their desire to see both Dr. and Mrs. Burrows. While they talked I began to wonder if I should have checked with the housekeeper about plans for dinner this evening or if she had reported to Richard since I was not mistress of the house yet. We were distracted by both the dismal decor and the injured men when we first came in. I was about to ask Aunt Bennet's opinion when Richard returned to the room and resumed his seat on the chair next to mine.

"Well, Philosopher, what is the report?" Uncle Bennet asked before Richard had even taken his seat.

"Given the circumstances, generally good. The apothecary has set the broken bones suffered by the driver and the one footman and tended to the cuts and scrapes. He recommended a special poultice for all the bruises suffered by the injured men until the physician arrives. While he is concerned about some of the knocks to the head the men received, he does not believe any of the injuries to be life-threatening as long as there is no infection."

"That is good news," Uncle Bennet confirmed.

"The other good news is dinner will be served on time, although that is balanced by the need to eat it in the dining room. Lucky Teddy gets to eat in the nursery. I had arranged to have one of the village women come stay for our visit as a nurse of sorts. She has arrived and is settling into the nurse's room. Mrs. Phipps is an older widow whose children have all dispersed into the world. She rents a little cottage near the church and has a small income. We can hire someone else for the long term, but having her now will give her a bit of a boost. I think you will like her, Teddy. I have always found her to be very kind."

"Will I have to always stay in the nursery?"

"Oh, no, son. We will have you with us much of the time. You are going to ride the estate with us and we have games to play. We just wanted to be sure that you have someone nearby to see to your needs when you are in the nursery and we are busy with other tasks."

Teddy nodded happily and went back to his soldiers.

"Sophia, I have asked Mrs. Appleton to report to you from now on. I told her to consider you the mistress of the house even if it is not yet official. I am sure Aunt Bennet will advise you if you need assistance. If either of you have concerns about Mrs. Appleton or the way the house is run I will step in and set things straight if you need me."

"Thank you, Richard. I had wondered if you would have her report to me."

"I have never run a house this size," Aunt Bennet said. "Of course, I will help Sophia if I can, but I am not sure I know enough."

"It is simply a matter of scale, Aunt Bennet," Richard assured her. "You have the experience actually running a household. You will know if things are going well or look suspicious, even in a house this size. I know Sophia can depend on you. Of course, she also has her sister and all her cousins to help as well. With that many eyes looking little should escape you."

The ladies all agreed with that sentiment. I was glad for the help. In my dismay over the look and atmosphere of the house I had forgotten the other purpose of the trip was to evaluate the staff and make any changes necessary to have the house already running smoothly when our family returned after the wedding. If I did not focus on that goal I could have worse problems than over-decorated walls come June.

Charles proposed the men take a ride around the estate boundary the next day just to get a feel for the size and the terrain. Richard and Teddy agreed to the idea and Lydia insisted she wished to go along, but Uncle Bennet was less enthusiastic.

"Give these old bones a break for a day," he said. "Today's trip was further than I have ridden in years. I am already feeling it and will probably be even more sore tomorrow. Perhaps we can content ourselves with a tour of the stables and other outbuildings. Make sure all is well close to home before we check the outer boundaries."

"There is wisdom in that idea," Richard agreed. "We also want to be close to hand if the ladies have any difficulties with the servants."

I saw Uncle Bennet sigh with relief at the change in plans. He had clearly not been looking forward to another day on a horse. A question suddenly struck me.

"Where is Uncle Bennet's horse? Did the footman ride him to London with the message for Dr. Burrows?"

Richard laughed. "I would not be so cruel to that good animal. He had already done several hours faithful labor. I had the footman ride him to the village and engage a messenger for the trip to London and make arrangements for the cart. Our footman then used the horse when he took my second note on to Rosings. Uncle Bennet's horse is in the stable with our other mounts and well cared for."

"I should have known you had a good plan," I told Richard with a smile.

"Yes, you should," he said with a wink. Everyone else laughed at us.

It was not long before dinner was announced. Richard had Teddy gather up his soldiers and called a footman to guide the boy back to the nursery and introduce him to Mrs. Phipps. He then took my arm and announced to the company with a grin, "We are going to ignore the order of precedence as we head to the dining room. Aunt Catherine would have been shocked _almost_ beyond words. Since I know the way I shall lead. Follow as you will and take any seat you choose when we arrive."

It was when we entered the dining room that I saw the first true evidence of damage done by Lord Willoughby's men. The room, a long rectangle dominated by a nearly equally long heavy wood table, had been lined with mirrored tiles above the wainscoting to reflect the light from the chandeliers. Several of the mirrored tiles were missing, and I assumed had been broken in the attack. The gaps reminded me of missing teeth on a man who had been in a fight. The chandeliers appeared unbalanced. Several of the crystal drops were gone, presumably either stolen or broken. Enough chairs ringed the table to accommodate our company, but I could see they had been spaced further apart than they normally would be set. Chairs that ornate, and probably uncomfortable, would be hard to match from other places in the house to fill any gaps left by broken ones.

Richard made a noise of disgust as he escorted me into the room. "We must make some good memories here. This is my second most hated room after the throne room. Meals here with Aunt Catherine would drag on for hours. I have asked for a simple meal this evening. I hope no one minds."

As he seated me next to his place at the head of the table, quite against all the normal rules, the others assured him a simple meal would be fine. The family arranged themselves around the table as they wished and I signaled for the meal to be served.

By the end of the meal I was convinced we had a good cook. We might adjust the menus and choose some simpler dishes in future. Still, the meal was acceptable. I found the service acceptable as well. Even more acceptable was the news, just after the final course was served, that Dr. and Mrs. Burrows had arrived. I directed trays be prepared for them, then Richard and I excused ourselves to welcome the new arrivals. The rest of the family would have cut the meal short to do the same, but I asked them to remain and enjoy the final course.

We met Mary and the doctor in the main entry. Mary was gazing at the walls in amazement. The doctor was apparently more used to the ways of the rich and tasteless.

"Welcome to our disaster!" Richard greeted them with a laugh.

"I am very glad you both came," I added.

"We can only stay three days," said the doctor. "My substitute could only cover for me that long."

"We will enjoy your company no matter how long or short the stay," I told them. "The rest of the family is just finishing dinner. Would you like to have a tray sent to your suite? If you prefer, after you have a chance to refresh yourselves you could join us in the library and have the trays brought there. We can have chairs brought in and you could sit at the writing desk."

"The library?" Mary asked, "Not the drawing room?"

"The library." Richard responded firmly.

Mary and the doctor looked at each other. "The library it is," he said. "How are my patients? Do I need to see to them first?"

We headed up the stairs after Richard confirmed with the waiting maid which suite of rooms had been assigned. As we went, he updated the doctor on the apothecary's findings and treatment. Mary and I followed the men, trailed by the maid.

"You seem to have the opposite situation I faced, Sophia," she said as we moved down the corridor. "I had a house nearly bare of decoration, while you..." She trailed off, at a loss for words.

"While I have more decoration than any three estates would need," I finished for her with a chuckle. "We do have the beginnings of a plan, thanks to Aunt Bennet. We start tomorrow and your help will be welcome."

Mary winked at me, "Of course, _cousin_ , I will be glad to assist." She knew of her mother's insistence that I be treated as family and said no more in front of the maid.

We left them at their rooms with the maid to attend to Mary and lead them both to the library when they were ready to come down. As we followed the corridor back to the stairs, Richard suddenly stopped.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing is wrong, Sophia," he said with a grin. "I just realized that we are alone."

I looked up and down the corridor and discovered he was correct. Not a family member or servant was in sight. We delayed our return to take advantage of the unexpected solitude and shared several kisses. Of course, even as we enjoyed the activity, a small part of my mind still expected to hear Uncle Bennet saying, "Time is up, Philosopher!" When no such warning came, we took our _own_ time making our way back to the family.


	63. Chapter 63

_AN: To my guest reviewer (and all the others) who wished the Darcys could join the party: I agree, that would be fun. I should have written it in, but cannot come up with a good excuse for their arrival now. To all of you, enjoy your long chapter today. The shoe (or something that might be on it) has hit the fan and produced some interesting results._

* * *

Wednesday dawned clear and bright. It would be a cheerful day to start our spring cleaning, especially after we uncovered some of the windows. I planned to start with a full survey of the house in company with all the family members who wished to accompany me.

Bishop Parkhurst decided to join us for breakfast. He moved slowly and was clearly in some pain. Daniel, as my new cousin the doctor invited me to call him, had warned the bishop and Mr. Colton to rest and avoid any activities that might cause jarring to the head. Beyond that he felt the apothecary's poultices would do no harm and might actually help as they waited for the bruises to heal. The bishop did not wish to stay abed, but the walk to breakfast convinced him of the wisdom of resting and taking things slowly. He requested use of the study and the loan of a messenger to visit the parsonage with a request for Mr. Greene to attend him at Rosings. Richard granted both requests.

Uncle Bennet was moving almost as slowly as the bishop. His prediction that he would be feeling the effects of the ride had clearly come true. He requested use of the library and the company of a good book for the morning. Richard granted his requests as well.

Gathering Teddy from the nursery, where he had breakfasted under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Phipps, Richard prepared to tour the outbuildings. Lydia wanted to meet the mare she would be riding during the visit and she was more interested in the outside works than the inside cleaning. She joined Richard, Charles, Daniel and Teddy in their task.

Aunt Bennet, Jane, Mary, Kitty, Grace and I set out on our tour of the entire house under the guidance of Mrs. Appleton. I took Richard's notebook and pencil with me so I could jot down any glaring problems or bright ideas we encountered.

It was an exhausting tour. We began at the main entry and went room by room until we completed that floor and moved up to the next. In each room we compared notes on our impressions of the overall look and the issues to resolve. Occasionally we actually found a treasure or two that might be moved to another room for better effect. I continually had to resist the urge to start fixing things right away. I could tell the others struggled with the same problem. We reminded each other we were just scouting and discovering the lay of the land. I had a feeling I would need to buy Richard a new notebook as I filled page after page with problems, solutions and things to be moved around.

The drawing room was quite the experience. Mrs. Appleton did not even have to tell us which room we had entered. As we stepped inside all but Mary immediately said, "The throne!" Mary had not been around to hear Richard's dread of the "throne room".

Mrs. Appleton, who had been very serious throughout actually cracked a smile at our instant identification. There was no mistaking that chair. It dominated the room, an edifice of gilt-covered indulgence. I expect the French Sun King, Louis XIV, might have considered it an appropriate seat from which to reign. Of course, we all had to try it. To my great surprise, although why I was surprised I do not know, it was the most comfortable seat to be found in the house. No wonder Lady Catherine spent most of her day sitting there.

It would have to go, of course. Richard had too many bad memories associated with that chair and its former occupant. I wondered if the Prince Regent might want it for his seaside pavilion. I would be willing to make a gift of it just to keep it out of Richard's sight. I mentioned the idea, but none of us knew the correct protocol for making such a gift. Richard would know. I made a note to ask him.

"I just cannot understand how she spent her days in this darkness," said Aunt Bennet, pulling the drapes of one window open. She moved on to the next window while the rest of us noticed a sense of oppression lifting with the entrance of full sunlight.

Mary spotted the pianoforte in one corner of the room and went to test it. It had good tone and I thought I would enjoy playing it. We might need to move it to a different room. Nothing required this room to remain as the main drawing room, after all.

Kitty and Grace tried a few of the seats scattered around the room. "These are almost as uncomfortable as the dining room chairs," Kitty complained.

"This settee is not too bad," Jane said.

I sat down next to her on the settee. "You are too generous, as usual, Jane," I told her. "It may not be as bad as some of the other chairs, but it is still not good."

I shifted a bit on the seat and suddenly had an idea what made it feel so lumpy and uncomfortable. I looked around at the chairs until I found one that had probably not suffered enough damage from the smugglers to need replacement, but had some fraying at the edge of the seat cushion. Heedless of the fine fabric, I pulled at the frayed section until the edge tore and I could peel the fabric away from the stuffing. As I had suspected, several small triangle-shaped bars of wood, with the sharp edge up, were fastened to the base of the seat in what was probably a random pattern and then covered with the stuffing. They were just large enough to make the seat uncomfortable without being obvious.

"Lady Catherine must have custom ordered every one of these chairs, or at least had them reupholstered like this. She _deliberately_ meant to make to make her guests feel discomfort. And no one would have been likely to say a thing."

The others gathered around the chair, poking at the stuffing and the small bars. It made sense. Every one of the uncomfortable chairs, including those in the dining room, had cushioned seats.

"Imagine! Doing that to your _guests_? I knew she was an unpleasant woman, but I would not have expected her to go to such trouble to make others unhappy," Aunt Bennet said.

"Do you think the servants knew?" Mary asked.

I turned to Mrs. Appleton, who was standing near the door waiting for us to move on to the next room. "Mrs. Appleton, are the servants aware of how these chairs are...um...embellished?"

"I am not sure if anyone knew before the attack by Lord Willoughby's men, Miss. We discovered the problem with the cushioning when clearing up the many broken chairs in the dining room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Appleton." I kept my demeanor pleasant, but I was not pleased she had said nothing about it even when hearing our comments regarding the uncomfortable seating in the house. Mrs. Hill would have warned a new owner after the first comment, I was certain.

"This means you can keep the settee and any seating you may like. They would just need to be reupholstered."

"That is true, Jane," I answered. "And it is something of a relief. I was beginning to think we would need to employ our own personal chair maker here in the village. This will still require a great deal of work and some specialized knowledge if we wish to save the current coverings and simply have the bars removed. However, it is the kind of knowledge that can be passed on to a small group of female workers, as opposed to requiring a shop and the special equipment a maker of fine furniture would need."

I thought about it for a moment, then made a note, before turning back to the group. "Aunt Bennet, would it be better to have only the items I wish to keep repaired, or should I have them all done prior to selling the rest so they might sell for a better price?"

She went to sit on Lady Catherine's throne, the comfortable seat, and thought for a few minutes. Looking around at the various items of furniture she came to a conclusion.

"I think it would be best if you only had the items you wish to keep worked on, Sophia. Most people who would buy such furniture would want to have it recovered to match their own interiors anyway. Warn whoever you hire to make the sale and leave it up to that person or the eventual buyer to repair the rest."

"That makes sense, Aunt. Thank you. I will proceed as you suggest." I made another note in my book.

We continued on our tour. Now I also made notes about which seating I thought I would like to keep now I knew it could probably be made usable. We skipped the library, which we had already seen, and the study, which was being used by the bishop. I noted two possible rooms that could become the new main drawing room. I would consult with Richard later to decide. Several rooms seemed to have no purpose at all except to fill the space. I could take my time to deal with those.

We viewed the bedroom suites in the family wing, aside from Richard's rooms and the suites assigned to the three married couples. Kitty, Lydia, Grace and I had all been given rooms in the guest wing. From the standpoint of propriety that arrangement made sense.

As I had come to expect, Lady Catherine's suite was ostentatious, but very comfortable. I do not know if she ever used her windows, which were covered by the same heavy drapes as the rest of the windows in the house, but the rooms had an exceptional view of the gardens and the lawn. If we could cleanse these rooms of the ghosts of past memories for Richard I could envision occupying them happily.

During a brief stop in the nursery we made the acquaintance of Mrs. Phipps. I liked her at once. Richard knew what he was about, bringing her in to look after our Teddy.

"I am very pleased to meet you all," she said with an amiable smile that reminded me of Charles. "This house and land could use some fresh faces and new ideas. I have known that scamp of a colonel since he was younger than your sweet lad and I know he will shake things up and make them right."

"What things do you think need shaking up?" I asked, truly interested in her opinion.

"The village and the tenants need to know there is someone they can trust in charge of the house. There has been too much sneaking and spying and keeping of secrets here."

"Now, Mrs. Phipps," warned Mrs. Appleton, "It is best you hold your tongue."

"I asked for her opinion, Mrs. Appleton," I said quietly. "The colonel and I wish to make a fresh start here and that means exposing injuries that require treatment and healing. I have learned enough of Lady Catherine to know how she behaved. I know none of your secrets, nor will I seek to discover them or use them to control you. I plan to pay a fair wage and expect good service in return."

"Good service!" she said with an ugly bark of laughter. "Well you would know about that, being nothing more than a servant yourself." The woman's face took on a hard, disdainful look.

"Explain yourself, Mrs. Appleton."

"I heard Lord Willoughby rant about you, _Miss_ York. He spoke of you as a slut of a governess working for that prig, Darcy! You come here with your natural son, trying to pass him off as a legitimate orphan along with those Bennets, the cousins of that insufferable fool, Collins. We are expected to treat you all as honored guests! You may act the fine lady, but you have no breeding or noble background. A footman saw you making up to the colonel in the hallway last night. Clearly you have entrapped him with _your services_."

Aunt Bennet and the young ladies stared at her in shock. I was too angry to be shocked.

"Allow me to correct your faulty information, Mrs. Appleton," I said in an icy tone. "For Mrs. Phipps' sake if not for yours. Lord Willoughby held a biased view as you should probably expect. I am the daughter of a viscount, as _he_ well knew. To my misfortune he was also my father's heir under terms of the entail. After he inherited my father's estate and took my dowry, my sister's dowry and my mother's portion for his own I _did_ take service as a governess. _Honest_ work seemed preferable to starvation and as a lady I knew how to teach others the necessary accomplishments. Contrary to your belief and his ranting I have worked for respectable employers and maintained propriety. Teddy is no child of my body, for I am a maiden still. If he were, I would not hesitate to claim him openly. I have no hesitation claiming the Bennets as my family. They are fine people who only had the misfortune to have Mr. Collins as a cousin. It is true the colonel and I shared a few kisses in the corridor. We are engaged, after all, and I love him. We have _not_ anticipated our vows, nor will we. You may believe me or not, as you wish. At any rate, I believe you have offered your immediate resignation with your outburst. Do we need to check your luggage for some of the missing valuables before you leave?"

Mrs. Appleton glared at me, but said nothing. A hearty chuckle from Mrs. Phipps seemed to decide matters for her. Without another word she turned on her heel and stormed from the room.

"You had best check her trunks, Miss. Hers and several others. Many of those little bright things of Lady Catherine's were recovered at the parsonage, but many more just disappeared."

"Thank you, Mrs. Phipps. I would like to speak more with you later. There is much I need to learn to be a good mistress here. Right now I need to see to the household."

"You are starting well enough, Miss. You go on now. I will be here. And I believe every word you said, Miss. The youngster already told me most of it and he is not the type for lies. I will make sure the true story goes about the village."

The shock that had kept the other ladies silent suddenly broke.

"The nerve of that woman!" Aunt Bennet exclaimed.

"What will you do, Sophia?" Mary asked while the others murmured in indignation to match Aunt Bennet's.

"I will call Richard in to have her trunks checked and I will send an express to Mrs. Hill to have our back up staff report for duty. Richard said we have a large carriage here we can send to Meryton to pick up our new employees and bring them here tomorrow."

"You planned for this?" Mary asked in amazement.

"We did."

I led my family from the room, followed by more amused chuckles from Mrs. Phipps. I think she enjoyed knowing we had a plan.

As we headed downstairs I called over the first footman I saw and instructed him to find the colonel immediately and have him meet me in the library. I gave the man leave to request help from his fellows if needed to find the colonel quickly.

"What is the rush, Sophia?" Grace asked.

"Did you not hear Mrs. Phipps?" Aunt Bennet answered for me, a little breathless from our pace. "Mrs. Appleton will be leaving quickly and others may go with her. A disgruntled servant may steal quite a bit given the opportunity."

"Exactly," I said and added, "Jane, would follow with your mother at a slower pace? I do not want her overtired in her condition or chance having her fall."

Jane took her mother's arm and pulled her to a gentle walk. Mary dropped back as well.

"You three go on," she said. "Jane and I will watch over Mama."

Kitty, Grace and I moved swiftly to the library. Uncle Bennet looked up, startled, as we rushed in.

"Whatever is the matter?" he asked.

"We have a situation, Uncle," I told him. "I have sent for Richard and the others to join us here."

"Fortunately, we were very close to the house," said Richard as he entered behind us. "What has happened?"

I quickly outlined my confrontation with Mrs. Appleton. I heard Richard swear under his breath as he pulled the bell to summon a footman. I thought I heard similar soft outbursts from both Daniel, Uncle Bennet and possibly Lydia. Charles just looked confused.

Just then, Jane and Mary escorted Aunt Bennet into the room, closely followed by a footman. Uncle Bennet rose to help his wife to a seat.

"Notify the grooms in the stables if Mrs. Appleton or any other servant requests transport I wish to be notified immediately. I do not want anyone to leave the estate before their belongings are searched for any valuables that may have gone astray."

The footman swallowed his surprise and went to carry out Richard's orders. I took a seat at the writing desk and pulled out paper, a pen and the ink bottle from the drawer.

""Do we wish to interview the key staff to see who beside Mrs. Appleton plans on leaving today before I write to Mrs. Hill?" I asked Richard.

He turned to me with a grim smile. "I can see you are as tempted as I am to simply have Mrs. Hill send the lot and sort out who is needed where when they arrive tomorrow."

I nodded. Given the accusations Mrs. Appleton had flung at me I thought it likely she would not be the only one to give us trouble. Teddy came to stand by me. He looked worried.

"Mother, I talked with Mrs. Phipps last night. She asked me how I came to be adopted and I told her how Uncle Bennet let me live at Longbourn after my first parents died and how you and father decided to adopt me. Was that wrong of me?"

"No, Teddy." I said, wrapping one arm around his shoulder and pulling him close to my side. "Mrs. Appleton believed bad things about us all, but Mrs. Phipps is willing to think well of us because she knows Richard _and_ she believed the things you told her."

Teddy snuggled close to me. "I like Mrs. Phipps," he said. "She is kind like Mrs. Hill. Will she still be my nurse when we come back after the wedding?"

"I do not know," I told him. "We will have to see how things work out."

He rested his head against my shoulder and we stayed like that while the rest of the family began to talk.

"I think it would be wise to send the messenger and carriage for all the temporary staff," Aunt Bennet said, "People picked out by Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls should be able to fill in anywhere they are needed even if none of the other staff leaves."

"Some of the servants may choose to stay if they see you are prepared to replace them so easily," offered Uncle Bennet. "It will be clear they are only hurting themselves if they choose to leave."

"I agree with Bennet," Daniel said. "It is a show of strength to let them know you were already prepared for trouble. You will probably want to address the gossip with them as well."

Charles spoke up. "Perhaps I am just slow, but why are you assuming the other servants will leave just because Mrs. Appleton is going?"

"If the other servants believe even half the foul things Mrs. Appleton spouted upstairs, or if they intend to keep any expensive items they have set aside for themselves then they will want to leave if they think they can get away with the goods." Richard answered. "Sophia, go ahead and write Mrs. Hill asking her to send the lot. I will go see to having the carriage readied and preventing Mrs. Appleton from leaving without being searched."

"I will enclose a note asking Mrs. Nicholls to send a few footmen and maids from Netherfield if you think that will help. They can assist with the ornament removal if they are not needed to run the house."

"Go ahead Bingley. I should send two carriages in that case. I think we have a second one."

I gave Teddy's shoulder a little squeeze and kissed the top of his head before I released him so I could turn to write my note.

"Would you like to come with me, Teddy?" Richard asked as he and Daniel headed for the door.

"I think I will stay with mother. She may need me to run errands."

"Good lad," said Richard, then he and Daniel left.

The other occupants of the room continued to talk about the confrontation upstairs. Charles pulled a chair up to the side of the writing desk. Without a word, I handed him paper and a quill. We shared the ink bottle as we wrote our notes.


	64. Chapter 64

_AN: You reap the benefit of a bout of insomnia with an early morning post - one of my longest chapters at that. Enjoy!_

* * *

The search of Mrs. Appleton's trunks turned up nothing. However, the maid Richard requested search her person found four of the jeweled gold trinket boxes hidden in her clothing. Richard told us later our sometime-housekeeper almost passed out with fear when he reminded her that even one of the boxes was of sufficient value to see her hung if he chose to press charges. He locked her up under guard after telling her he planned to consult with me before deciding how to proceed. That thought was almost as frightening to her, he told us with a grim laugh.

Knowing the gentle docility of the Rosings horses, Richard obtained permission to send one of the Longbourn footmen off on Charles' horse with the notes for Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls. The two largest of Lady Catherine's collection of carriages – five of them, for one woman who disliked travel – followed an hour later with Uncle Bennet's driver in charge of one to show the other driver the way. They would stay the night at Netherfield and return the next morning with our group of temporary staff members.

We called a meeting with the senior staff in one of the rooms I had under consideration for the new main drawing room. Before the meeting we had the armchairs moved from the library for the use of the family. Reupholstering the existing chairs would have to wait.

"As you are probably aware," Richard addressed the assembled men and women, "Mrs. Appleton chose to leave my employ today after making an unpleasant scene with Miss York. I had her searched before she left and we found she was attempting to leave with several valuable items belonging to the estate. She has been detained and is under guard. My betrothed and I will consult with Bishop Parkhurst and our new parson, Mr. Greene," here he nodded to those two gentlemen, who sat with our family group, "as to whether I shall press charges of theft against her. The value of the items is such that she will most likely hang if we do press charges."

Several of the staff gasped at that. I could not tell if it was concern for Mrs. Appleton or fear for themselves. A few looked very nervous in a way that did not suggest mere sympathy.

"I would prefer not to search all the staff quarters, but I will if I feel I must," Richard continued. "You should know that Mrs. Appleton was given warning we might search her luggage before she left. She chose to conceal items that were clearly not hers on her person. I consider it only fair to give you warning and I expect you to notify the rest of the staff. If you have such items in your possession, return them. I will not question any items that suddenly reappear in the public rooms. It will be enough if they are returned. I _may_ search all the private rooms. I _will_ search the person and luggage of anyone who chooses to leave my employ."

He stopped and looked at each person in turn. The butler and cook steadily returned his gaze. The others shifted more or less nervously in their places. After a pause he continued.

"Mrs. Appleton saw fit to make several nasty statements about my betrothed and her family. I shall address some of those statements now, as she made them sound like current gossip among the staff. I will be happy to accept the resignation of any staff member who chooses to leave under the conditions I have stated and I will not tolerate any disrespect in word or manner toward my betrothed or any of our family by those who remain. We already have a number of people willing to accept temporary positions in the household. They will arrive tomorrow morning. I expect those of you who choose to remain to be welcoming and assist them to settle into whatever new duties we assign." He took another long look around the room.

"Now, as to these rumors...First, it is true the Bennets are distant cousins to Mr. Collins, the late parson. I expect my aunt had much to say to their detriment in her anger at being ejected from their home. She invaded, uninvited, during a party and disrupted it with her insults to the family and her demands that my cousin break his engagement to the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet and marry Anne instead. Mr. Collins was asked to leave the Bennet home at the same time over his own poor behavior. Do not tar the Bennets with the same brush as Collins. We all have relatives for whom we must blush. Both Lady Catherine and my father, in my case, for instance. Anything Lady Catherine or Collins may have said about the Bennet family members was tainted by their own anger at being forced from the Bennet home. Are there any questions on that point?"

He looked at each of them again. All shook their heads and a few murmured, "No, sir."

"Good. I understand there is also some question as to the parentage of the boy, Teddy, with rumors of him being Miss York's natural son, mine or the natural child of us both. These rumors are _completely false._ " Again he stopped and looked at each of the staff members before continuing.

"Teddy is the legitimate son of respectable parents, now deceased. There are several witnesses to this fact including the midwife who delivered him and the vicar who christened him. Mr. Bennet took him in when his parents died of illness a few years ago. For a variety of reasons, including the deep affection we both feel for him, Miss York and I have adopted him as our son, even in advance of our wedding. Despite what rumors may have arisen from my display of affection for my betrothed in the corridor last night, which was apparently witnessed and gossiped about by a footman, Miss York and I have _not_ anticipated our vows, _nor will we_."

At this he did not just look at the staff. He glared. I expect he wore that same look going into battle and woe to the enemy soldier who got in his way. Once again, the butler and cook faced him steadily, but the rest shifted nervously.

"Finally," he said, still looking grim, "I understand Lord Willoughby may have made some highly uncomplimentary comments regarding my betrothed, which were overheard and spread as gossip. Miss York and her sister are the daughters of the late Viscount Stone of Stone Landing. To their misfortune, Lord Willoughby, a _distant_ cousin, was heir to their father's estate under the terms of the entail. He proceeded to deny both young ladies their dowries and any other funds including those meant for their mother's support. In order to care for her mother, who was ill, and her sister who was then my adopted son Teddy's age, Miss York decided to use the skills and accomplishments she learned growing up and became a governess in a respectable family. She was able to guide her young charge into society and to a good marriage with a man of wealth and greater social status. Lord Willoughby knew she had been driven into service by his greed and taunted her with it when he recently encountered her in town. He was incensed when she prevented him from being able to force Miss Darcy into marriage so he could claim her dowry. Of course he would have nothing good to say about my betrothed, although it is beyond me why he spoke of her at all while he was here. For the record, he died while attempting to kidnap her and her sister intending to force my cousin, Mr. Darcy, to ransom them. My horse jumped a hedge as I rode to their rescue and barreled into Lord Willoughby as it landed. The man broke his neck when he fell."

After a quick glance around, he finished. "Any of you who care to leave should inform me as soon as possible. I will give you time to make any arrangements before searching your trunks. Make sure the rest of the staff is informed regarding both the search and the new people who will arrive tomorrow. Thank you for your attention."

The butler stepped forward without hesitation. "I will be staying with you, sir. You and Mr. Darcy have always done your best by this estate and I well know how you tried to make Lady Catherine do the fair thing, impossible task though it was. I will have no problem serving you or Miss York. A woman who will take on honest work to support those she loves deserves nothing but respect. I know she will treat us fairly because she understands life below-stairs. As for your young lad, sir, I have heard stories from the Longbourn footmen of his bravery and good nature. He has my respect as the young master and should he succeed you as master he will have my faithful service."

Mr. Harrow bowed and then stepped back, to be replaced by Mrs. Henderson, the cook.

"I say the same as Harrow. I stay unless you say differently. I have no problem serving Miss York and her family."

The head groom then indicated he would stay, as did the head gardener. After some nervous glances at each other along with a bit of foot shuffling, the remaining staff, senior footmen and maids, indicated they would also stay. I was not certain they would stay long, but we would be well set with our temporary staff no matter what else happened.

Richard dismissed the staff while we remained to discuss the meeting and make our plans. Bishop Parkhurst gave a little chuckle as the last of the servants left the room.

"I wonder if they will be so distracted by the more sensational aspects of your explanation that they will forget to be the first to spread news that Hunsford has a new parson?"

"I do not mind being the least of the gossip," said Mr. Greene. "The news will spread soon enough. I am grateful for the living. _My_ betrothed will appreciate knowing we have a home to share after our marriage. You have both our thanks, Colonel."

"I was impressed by your care of the people of Hunsford village while we sorted out the problem of Mr. Collins."

"It was my pleasure. These are good people and they deserved better than they had with Mr. Collins."

Bishop Parkhurst spoke again. "It was wise of you to address all the rumors directly. I expect you would have preferred not having to do so. It shows you in a good light that you were willing to speak instead of trying to hide the facts or sweep the rumors under the rug. Have you decided how you would like to deal with Mrs. Appleton?"

"There has been too much death at Rosings of late," Richard said. "I do not wish to see her hang. Neither do I wish to see her simply freed. If she faces no consequences all my threats of punishment for the rest of the staff lose their force. I would like to see if we can have her transported instead of killed. It is a hard life, but it is life and she could still make something of herself."

"That is the better option, Colonel. As you say, there has been too much death here already. I can speak with the magistrate if you wish. Well, if you will ask him to come here so I do not have to travel, I can speak with him." he laughed softly.

"Of course, my lord. I hope he will be willing to visit here. Mr. Sanders had a violent argument with Aunt Catherine several years ago and has not been to Rosings since. I hope he will give me the benefit of the doubt when I tell him I wish to make a fresh start with the neighborhood."

"I will include a note with your invitation that will, hopefully, sweeten his attitude towards you."

"Richard, is the serious business done now?" Lydia asked. "I do so want to try a ride on that sweet mare you said I could use."

"I suppose any part of it that might affect you is done, Lydia. I will arrange to have a groom accompany you, unless one of your brothers is willing to escort you. You must promise not to go very far from the house or the grounds of Rosings."

"I will go with her," said Charles. "Only I will have to borrow a horse as well, since mine is on its way to Netherfield."

"You may take your pick in the stable, although I do not recommend you try to ride Old Satan."

"Have no fear of that," he waved the idea away with a laugh. "I have seen what he does to unwanted riders."

"You must tell me how the horse got that name, Colonel," said the Bishop.

Jane smiled at her husband and wished them both a good ride. Charles and Lydia excused themselves before Richard began his tale of tracking Mr. Wickham and finding the stolen horse. The bishop enjoyed the story and took great amusement at the horse's employment in the militia camp as a riding instructor of sorts. I enjoyed hearing the stories as well. It was fun to listen to Richard tell them and he only embellished a little bit.

When Richard finished his story I spoke up. "Richard, while we inspected the drawing room I had an idea that I wanted to pass by you."

"You know I am likely to agree to any of your ideas."

"This one is a bit out of the norm. I know you despise Lady Catherine's throne."

He shuddered and nodded.

"We all had to try it. It was actually a very comfortable seat. It is too fine to simply take it out and burn it and I had the thought of giving it to the Prince Regent, perhaps as something for his seaside pavilion, which I understand is excessively decorated. I was simply not sure what the protocol would be for such a gift."

Both Bishop Parkhurst and Uncle Bennet burst into uproarious laughter at my comment, although the bishop finished with a wince as the laughter jostled his bruised ribs. Richard looked thoughtful. "That is not a bad idea," he mused.

"You are not serious?" the bishop asked.

"It would not be too far out of line with what I have heard about his choice of decorations. If we present it correctly it might be an acceptable gift. Then I would never have to look at it again."

"What do you say, Bennet?" the bishop asked, "Is a look at this throne worth standing up for?"

"I think we must, my lord. If these two are considering the idea seriously that must be some chair."

"Oh, it is a throne," Aunt Bennet looked up from her conversation with Mary. "I did enjoy sitting in it, but I would not want such a gaudy thing in my house."

Richard offered both gentlemen a hand up. "Sophia, will you take them to see it. I am still not ready to enter that room."

I smiled at him. "Of course, Richard. I will be back soon."

I accompanied to the two men as they slowly moved down the corridor. Their first reactions on seeing the "throne" were all I had hoped. It sat gleaming in a beam of afternoon sunlight coming in through the still-opened curtains. Uncle Bennet's mouth dropped open and he had not a word to say. I thought Bishop Parkhurst's eyebrows might disappear into his hairline his eyes went so wide in surprise.

"Your idea makes more sense than I could have imagined," he finally said slowly. He stepped forward into the room. "As you said, one must try it." He slowly walked over to the ornate chair and took a seat. Settling in, he shifted a bit, then rested his arms on arms of the chair.

"It _is_ the most comfortable seat in this house. Speaking of which, why does that chair over there have its covering torn off?"

"That is how we discovered why all the other chairs are so uncomfortable. There are sharp pieces of wood embedded in the cushioning."

Uncle Bennet went to take a look. "I see. It was done _on purpose_ and was not just poor design."

"Yes," I said, "we can have the pieces I like fixed and will warn any buyers of the other pieces so they can take care of the problem if they decide to recover the chairs."

"Well, well. Who would have thought it. May I have a turn at that throne, my lord?"

"In a few minutes, Bennet. I am thinking of the best way to manage the presentation of this piece to his majesty. It is actually a good idea but it must be handled properly."

"Oh, very well," Uncle Bennet grumbled. "You run along back to the colonel, Sophia. Tell him about the deliberate sabotage of all the chairs in the house. He was feeling a bit annoyed at the thought of replacing them all. We will be fine here."

I did as he said. Richard chuckled when I described what we had found in the cushioning of the chair I tore apart. "She was a wily old bat. And cruel to boot. So, we do not need to buy out the wares of every furniture maker in London."

"No, in fact we can supply some furniture to them and with a few alterations it will probably sell well."

"That is a relief. Use whatever resources you need to arrange for the repairs. If I have to find you a workman or send to London for supplies just let me know." He took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Are you still thinking of your redecorating project?"

"Yes, it needs to be thought on. I am going up to the nursery to speak with Mrs. Phipps for a bit. After that I want to finish touring the upper rooms. I will see if Teddy wants to go with me or prefers to stay with Mrs. Phipps and play with his soldiers."

"Very well, Dearest," Richard said. "Send a footman for me if you need any assistance. I will be in either the study or the library if I am not here."

I decided to drop a kiss on his cheek before I left the room. We had already publicly declared our love for each other. None of the others paid the action any attention at all.

As I suspected, Teddy was happily playing with his soldiers when I entered the nursery. Mrs. Phipps sat in the rocking chair, knitting and humming to herself as she watched him.

"Have you come to play, Mother?" he asked hopefully.

"I wanted to talk with Mrs. Phipps, but I will play for a little while after we have our chat."

He nodded and went back to his imaginary world. I pulled the other adult size chair next to the rocking chair and sat down.

"I wanted to finish the conversation that was interrupted by Mrs. Appleton. You said the people need to know there is someone they can trust in charge of the house. How can that trust be earned, in your opinion?"

"You said you had heard how Lady Catherine behaved, but I do not think you know the half of it, Miss," she said with a look of sadness. "She was a vengeful, controlling woman and nosy beyond reason. She wanted to know everything and dictate to everyone. That Collins man, and Mr. Oscott before him were her spies, not servants of the church. They used their position to wiggle their way into every household and they told her everything they saw."

"And then she used that against you?"

"She used used everything she could to make her word the law. Her sneaking spies enforced her will and there was little recourse. If she chose to withhold charity or to brand someone as a sinner then her parson made sure that was known. To defy her was to risk being accused of a crime and condemned by the other who held her in fear. Young Mr. Darcy and your colonel tried to help, but we could never tell them exactly what was going on for fear of her finding out."

"So are the villagers disposed to give the colonel a chance?"

"Yes, Miss. We know it was the colonel who took care of those evil men who took over the parsonage. We know he was the one who brought that Collins back under guard and kept him from being able to bother us. He has our goodwill and if he continues as he has begun we will support him."

"What do you think of Mr. Greene?"

"Ah, now there is a man of the church. It has been years since we have had a curate or parson who tended to our needs and truly shared faith with us. He is a good man."

"He is the new parson. Richard and Bishop Parkhurst confirmed him in the living this morning."

"That is good news. It will go far to helping build that trust."

"Mrs. Appleton did try to steal some valuable trinkets when she left. Richard is looking to see if she can be transported as punishment. We feel there has been too much death here and do not want to see her hung."

"I thought she might be fool enough to try, even when you gave her warning. She was a fit housekeeper for Lady Catherine. Like her ladyship, Mrs. Appleton hoarded secrets and used them as a whip to keep the staff in line. You probably could not see it in her manner at first, but she is a nasty piece of work. There has been much death here, but transportation is no less than she deserves. You said you had a plan to replace the staff?"

"Yes, before we came we thought there might be problems. The housekeepers at Longbourn and Netherfield have a knack for finding just the right people to fit any need. They put together a list of people who would be willing to take on the key positions here on a temporary basis. All they needed was our request for their presence and transportation. We sent the request and the carriages a little while ago and our people will be here tomorrow."

"Why only temporary?"

"I would prefer to hire local people to take the jobs on permanently, but thought it might take a little while to find just the right people. This way the house will be in good hands while we make our search."

"I hoped that was your intent. I will make sure that is known as well. If the villagers know you want the locals here they will feel better about your temporary staff. I will ask around and see who might be willing to work here. Most families have avoided sending their sons and daughters to Rosings, but if they can be assured of fair treatment and pay they will come and be glad of the chance."

"I will appreciate the help. It is difficult coming here as an outsider. I plan to make this my home for the rest of my life and I want my children to grow up feeling a part of the community instead apart from them."

"You will do well, Miss. Now you have a child who wants to play with you. We have talked enough."

I smiled at her, then turned to Teddy. "Teddy, would you like me to play soldiers with you, or would you like to accompany me as I look at some more of the rooms to see what we need to fix, or both?"

"We can play soldiers later. Maybe Grace and Father will play too. I would like to help with the rooms. We need to make things more light."

"That we do."

"Let me put my soldiers away and we can go."

Mrs. Phipps nodded approvingly as he placed his soldiers carefully back into the cabinet.

"Good lad," she said. "Always put your toys away between games and they will be there when you need them."

"Yes, Mrs. Phipps," he said, closing the cabinet door. We left her knitting and humming to herself. Teddy took my hand and together we went to open curtains and look at rooms.


	65. Chapter 65

Our temporary staff arrived much earlier than we had expected. Mrs. Napier, our new housekeeper, told us Mrs. Nicholls summed them to Netherfield the evening before and provided rooms for them all there. They were able to leave at first light, which accounted for the earlier arrival.

I had a feeling I would get along well with Mrs. Napier. She was the daughter of a minor landowner and had married a navy man when she was just twenty. Her parents were against the match and gave her no support, so she worked as a maid at an estate near the port from which her husband usually sailed. After he was killed in action she continued as a maid and eventually a housekeeper. She had returned to her family home to keep house for her brother after their father died. He recently married and no longer needed her help, so she was happy to take the opportunity Mrs. Nicholls had offered. She seemed a cheerful woman but with enough backbone to keep order in a house this size.

The others who came with her were men and women who for one reason or another found themselves between jobs or just wanting a change. I was certain we could find good work for all of them while they stayed here. I expected the temporary jobs to last at least until shortly after the wedding. The estate could easily support the extra staff and I had a feeling the existing staff would be less likely to get up to any tricks in the time between our visit and the wedding with the Hertfordshire crew to keep an eye on them.

The man who would have taken over the butler's position, Sam Larson, turned out to have a hidden talent. When he was younger he had apprenticed with an upholsterer. He had the skills to fix our uncomfortable chairs and he assured me he could teach some of the others to help him. With our additional footmen from Netherfield we cleared a few of the rooms that had seemed to have no purpose. One of these was turned over to Larson as a workroom. I asked him to start with the dining room chairs, so he had his little group of footman move them to the workroom. As we were overseeing the transfer of the chairs, a footman brought me word that0 one of the groundsmen requested a moment of my time.

I stepped outside to find a middle-aged man waiting in the drive, twisting his cap nervously in his hands.

"You wished to see _me_?" I asked, "Not Colonel Fitzwilliam?"

"Yes, Miss, that is I did wish to speak with you, Miss. It is about the furniture, you see. And I heard that you are in charge of that, Miss, so it is you I need to speak with."

"There is no need to be nervous. What is your name?"

"It is Peters, Miss, and well, I knew that man who fixed up all the chairs so uncomfortable like, Miss. He were my brother, you see."

"I am not upset. That is in the past and it was on Lady Catherine's orders."

"That is true, Miss, and he did not like to ruin good chairs that way. Lady Catherine, you see, she told him to do it anytime she bought new chairs and such, but he was to tell no one, only he told me. What I wanted to tell you, Miss, is I have a locker full of my brother's tools to do such work. He had me keep them here in one of the outbuildings, so as not to have to cart them back and forth when working. It were just after he finished the last batch, Miss, he had an apoplexy and never needed them again. I did not know what to do with them, so I simply left the locker where it was."

"Are you offering us the use of your brother's tools to help fix the chairs?" I asked in pleased surprise.

"Well, yes, Miss. That is the way of things, since I hear as how you are changing things around and wanting to undo what her ladyship did."

"Oh, Peters! Those tools will be such a help. Larson was just telling me he might have to order a few special items from London to complete the work. I will send out two footmen to carry the locker into the workroom if you will show them where it is."

"Thankee, Miss. It is a heavy piece or I would have brought it here for you. My brother did hate to ruin good work, Miss. It would please him no end to have his tools used to fix the bad."

I thanked him again and asked him to wait for the two footmen. When I returned to the workroom I told Larson the good news. He detailed his two strongest helpers to go retrieve the locker. While they went he asked me if I could identify a few of the pieces in the house I liked the least and would not mind having destroyed. I looked at him in surprise.

"We may need some fittings and bits of stuffing to fill out the cushions. If we use what we have on hand there is no need to send off to London."

"That makes sense. I have an idea." I called in one of the Rosings footmen and asked if he knew what had happened to the chairs that were destroyed by Willoughby's men.

"We dumped them all in one of the attic rooms, Miss. At least those that were not so bad we simply broke them up for firewood."

Larson laughed. "There is our answer, Miss." He turned to the footman, "Show me that attic."

I left them to it. If they ended up needing more chairs to pull apart I was sure I could identify several.

0o0o0o0

Mr. Sanders, the magistrate, arrived early that afternoon. He entered to the site of footmen on ladders removing paintings from the entry walls. Kitty and I were watching the process and identifying the darkest and most unpleasant paintings for removal. As he saw what we were doing Mr. Sanders displayed an unaccountably satisfied smile.

Richard had seen the carriage arrive from the study window and came in to greet his guest. After the introduction Mr. Sanders asked, "Do you know why I broke all contact with Lady Catherine shortly after Sir Lewis' death?"

"I understood you had an argument with her over some matter, but I do not know what that was." Richard answered.

"We argued over paintings." He smiled at our surprise. "You are probably not aware that I am distantly related to Sir Lewis. Our last shared ancestor was 5 generations ago, so of course I have no claim to this estate or anything in it. I did visit after Sir Lewis' death and asked if I might purchase three paintings depicting early ancestors we had shared."

"That seems a reasonable enough request," I said.

"One would think so," he responded. "I politely tendered my offer to Lady Catherine. The paintings are somewhat valuable to a collector, but they are of greater sentimental value to me as the only known paintings of those particular ancestors. I offered a price beyond their market value."

"How did Lady Catherine react?" Richard asked.

"She lambasted me in one breath for treating her as I would a common tradeswoman with my offer of the purchase. She took umbrage in the next breath with what she called my "paltry" offer. I tried to calm her to no effect. The situation rapidly deteriorated into a shouting match between the two of us that ended with our mutual agreement to cut all ties between our families."

"Can you show us the paintings?' Richard asked.

"If they remain where they were," Mr. Sanders said. We followed him along the corridor and into my potential new drawing room. Walking along the interior wall, he pointed to a large, full length portrait of a man and woman in Elizabethan court dress. The nameplate identified them as Guillaume and Isabelle de Bourgh. I considered it one of the more cheerful paintings in the room, with a light background showing classical style columns and bright clothing on the subjects who seemed a very handsome couple.

Mr. Sanders then pointed out two smaller portraits showing only the face of one man and the full upper body and face of the other. The nameplates showed them to be Alistair de Bourgh and Hadrian de Bourgh. Richard studied them for a few minutes then asked, "How much was your offer to Lady Catherine for them?"

Mr. Sanders named a figure which sounded very generous to me. Richard nodded solemnly, turned and winked at me, then said, "My asking price is exactly one quarter of that figure, Mr. Sanders. If that is agreeable to you you may purchase and claim them as soon as you wish. Your family has a right to the reminders of your heritage."

"I appreciate your kindness. May I ask an impertinent question?"

Richard nodded with a raised eyebrow.

"Speaking of family heritages, I was wondering how you are recovering from the beating your father and brother have given the Fitzwilliam family name? Do you think you can restore it to a name your children will take pride in?"

"To be honest, I am not sure the name will ever recover. However, my children will not bear the name Fitzwilliam. As part of our marriage settlement I will take my wife's name, as will our children. Starting June 1st I will be Richard York."

I could see the gravity with which Richard made that statement. It was the first announcement of his pending name change outside of our extended family. He stiffened a little as if to brace himself for a disapproving response.

"York. That is right. I knew the name was niggling at me. Was Viscount Stone your father, Miss York?"

"Yes, Mr. Sanders."

"I knew him slightly. We exchanged some correspondence and played a few games of chess. Good man." He turned to Richard. "Part of the marriage settlement, you say? Well, that is a good enough reason to take on an honorable name. The Yorks should do well here at Rosings."

"I hope we shall," Richard answered.

"Are you looking to sell your commission?"

"Yes. I will resign from my duties before the wedding and am looking for a qualified purchaser."

"My brother's youngest has the necessary years in and is looking to move up. I will have him contact you. Where are you currently stationed?"

"I have charge of a militia unit in the village of Meryton in Hertfordshire."

"How long will you be visiting Rosings before you return to your duties?"

We return a week from Tuesday, although I may have to ride back to the camp for a day or two next week."

"Very good. I will send over a cart and payment for the paintings. Having them in my family collection at last will give me no end of satisfaction. Now, I understand from the bishop's note you had an official matter to discuss with me in my role as magistrate?"

"Yes. The bishop is waiting in the study. Sophia, would you have a pair of footmen carefully take down these paintings and set them aside for Mr. Sanders?"

"Of course."

"It has been a pleasure meeting you, Miss York. Perhaps you and your family would join me for dinner during this visit? I will send over an invitation. I think we should fully re-establish ties between Sandershill and Rosings Park."

I gave a respectful curtsy. "We would be honored, Mr. Sanders."

Richard led the magistrate to the study while I pulled the bell for a footman. Would that all the old neighborhood disputes could be resolved so easily.

I learned later that Mr. Sanders interviewed Mrs. Appleton in the presence of Richard and the bishop. After further discussion he agreed to have her transported as punishment for the theft. Arrangements would be made to file the official reports and have her taken away to London and loaded on a prison ship.

I had a better afternoon. Lydia had enjoyed her ride the day before. She found the little mare, Tawny, much more to her liking than poor old Nelly at Longbourn. Charles, on the other hand, had been bored silly trying to ride a horse he said could be outrun by a lame tortoise.

When Lydia begged for another ride I decided I needed a little outing as well. After all, I had been granted use of Anne's phaeton and ponies. I requested the phaeton be prepared and Tawny and Sooty be saddled. I also asked that one of the grooms ride along with our little party to ensure we did not stray from the estate or become lost on our excursion.

Grace and Kitty decided to ride with me in the phaeton. It turned out to be a sweet little vehicle, just right for three slender ladies to share the bench. The frame featured graceful sweeping curves that mirrored the curved springs beneath the seat and was finished with a pale golden brown stain. Two sturdy bay ponies patiently stood in the traces, waiting for us to climb aboard and start our ride. The head groom assured me the phaeton was well-balanced and unlikely to tip or sway, particularly at the slower pace these ponies preferred to use.

With Lydia and Teddy riding just ahead of us and our groom/guide just behind I felt perfectly safe as we set off. The head groom had been serious about the speed the ponies chose to travel. I was only half joking when I told Grace I suspected a family of ducklings could probably outpace us. Kitty had a good laugh from that, because just as I said it a small group of duckling emerged from a pond nearby and started moving quickly along the lane.

We passed by meadows glowing green in the afternoon sun and dotted with sparkling ponds. Even the puddles had a warm glow to them. Spring flowers lined our path, adding splashes of white, yellow, purple and blue to the green of the grass. For a while the lane followed a line of apple trees in blossom and later we passed a stand of cherry trees. Our gentle pace gave us time to look around and appreciate the beauty we saw.

We also passed a few tenant houses on the way. The occupants knew who we were and came out to nod a greeting or drop a curtsy. We responded with friendly nods and waves of our own, but did not stop to talk. I could see that Richard would need to make some repairs here and there. Lydia seemed to be taking note of where work would be needed. She had learned a great deal from her father already, it seemed.

As we circled back to the house we passed the parsonage, which was separated from Rosings grounds by the lane on which we rode. Mr. Greene was just returning from a visit in the village, which we could see beyond the trees on his side of the lane. We did stop there for a few moments to greet him.

I could understand why Anne had enjoyed her drives in the phaeton. Even a woman as weak and ill as she was would have been able to manage the ponies. The ride was smooth and the vehicle did handle well as the head groom had said it would. I knew I would have to make such outings a regular occurrence when I returned to make this my permanent home.

Richard came out to greet us when we pulled up in front of the house. A groom came up to hold the ponies' heads while Richard handed the three of us down from the bench. Lydia and Teddy reluctantly dismounted as well.

"How was the outing?" Richard asked.

"It would have been more fun if those ponies would go faster," said Lydia. "Teddy and I wanted to ride ahead, but Sophia would not let us."

Teddy laughed. "I would have liked to go faster, but I also had fun taking a ride with Mother. We saw ducklings and rabbits along the lane and we passed a field with a big herd of cows. I saw some sheep in one of the farther fields."

"I am glad you enjoyed time with Sophia." He turned to me and asked, "How did the phaeton handle?"

"Beautifully. It was no trouble at all, although they are right about the speed of the ponies."

"We were almost outrun by the family of ducklings," Kitty giggled.

"I am sure the rabbits could have passed us if they wanted," Grace added.

"I liked the pace," I said. "It gave me time to see all the beauties of the countryside. The flowers are amazing at this time of year." I took Richard's arm and leaned against him gently. "Thank you for letting me use the phaeton."

"It is yours now," he told me. "Anne would have liked to see you enjoy it."

"I am glad. I feel refreshed now and ready to check on the progress our cleaning crews have made."

We headed into the already lighter and brighter entry way. I smiled to see the difference just removing half the paintings made. There was hope for this house yet.


	66. Chapter 66

_AN: Thanks to babykathy1961 for the inspiration which prompted this chapter. Our housecleaning turns up a few interesting things…_

* * *

Lady Catherine's throne proved a source of enjoyment to many in our group. With the exception of Richard, every person had to try sitting in it at least once over the first three days of our visit. The younger members of the family each took a turn, generally sitting for a few minutes and then letting someone else have it. Teddy did not like sitting in it at all. Lydia, on the other hand, declared herself queen during her time on the throne. She incited Teddy, Kitty and Grace to roll with laughter over her outrageous orders and pompous pronouncements.

Uncle Bennet claimed it for a few hours, stating it was the appropriate place to sit while reading a book he had found in the library on the unfortunate reign of King Charles I. He was eventually displaced by Bishop Parkhurst, who claimed the shape of the seat soothed his lingering aches from the bruises. We had the footmen move a small writing desk into the room and Mr. Colton brought in a chair with a plain wooden seat to use as he and the bishop worked on some of their official business.

After hearing the bishop's statement about the soothing qualities, Aunt Bennet took the throne for a time while Richard and the bishop were in the study with Mr. Sanders. Her condition was causing her some backaches and she agreed they were soothed by the seat. She worked on her embroidery for a little while, but mostly dozed through her reign.

Richard refused to even look in the drawing room door. He had no desire to see, let alone sit on, the throne.

"I have spent too many hours of my life in that room, staring at that chair while listening to my aunt either harangue Will about marrying Anne or drone on about things in which she claimed great proficiency while I tried not to fidget as my backside grew more and more sore. It will be some time before I voluntarily enter that room again, even after that chair is gone."

He and Bishop Parkhurst worked together drafting a letter to go with the presentation of the chair. Remembering the connection, the bishop suggested working with the Duke of Montrose on the actual presentation. Richard labored over the message they would send. He wanted it clear the gift came with no expectations for favors in return. He explained what he found most amusing about my suggestion for giving it away.

"Aunt Catherine disliked the king and hated the prince regent's behavior and person. She would be furious to know Prinny might plant his royal arse on her favorite chair, if you will excuse the indelicacy of the statement."

I was not offended. I laughed at the vindictive pleasure the thought gave him. I knew he had no great love for the prince regent either, so this gift was to remove the chair from the house and enjoy the thought of how it would have frustrated Lady Catherine.

At the bishop's suggestion, on Friday I tasked two maids to carefully clean and polish the throne, including every nook and cranny of the decorative work. We wanted it to sparkle. I also asked Larson to check the upholstery for wear and to see if he could figure out what made the seat so comfortable. He determined it was a combination of the shaping of the wood beneath the cushions and the blend of curled lambswool and a dried seed he identified as buckwheat which filled the bottom cushion. While he was making a detailed drawing of the design and curve of the seat he found the secret compartment under it. The compartment contained a locked metal box, which he removed and brought to us in the library. Richard and I were there, writing out lists of things we wished to sell to go to the contacts we had received that morning in a return message from Mr. Gardiner.

"Sir! Miss! Look what I found in the chair!" he said excitedly as he came into the room. He displayed the box he carried in both hands. It was about eighteen inches square and nearly two inches deep. It took us a minute to understand he had found it in the seat of Lady Catherine's throne. When the realization hit we also understood his excitement.

Larson set the box down on the desk and Uncle Bennet pulled himself from his armchair to come join us in examining it. I picked it up and found it very heavy. Richard hefted it as well. He examined the lock, which was inset on the side of the box.

"Do we need to break the lock?" I asked. "I doubt we will find the key."

"No, we do not need to break it. At least, I think not," Richard said. "I learned a few interesting skills in the military, including how to pick locks, which was sometimes necessary when liberating goods from enemy encampments." He looked around, probably seeking a tool. He spotted my workbasket, which I had brought down for when we gathered in the library after dinner.

"Sophia, those sticks you use when knitting socks are probably fine enough for the job. May I borrow two of them?"

I brought him two of my thinnest metal knitting needles.

"Ah, just right," he said and inserted them into the keyhole, giving each a different angle of entry. He twisted and turned them and finally, with a click, the lock opened and the lid raised slightly. Richard opened the lid fully to expose three delicately carved wooden boxes cushioned above, below and between with a thin layer of wool to prevent rattling. Brushing aside the top layer of wool, he gently lifted all three from their metal container, setting that to the side when done. Putting my knitting needles to use again, he unlocked all three. The outer two were packed solid with gold coins. Not another coin could be inserted into either and the cushioned velvet lining of the box was crushed with the weight.

"My Lord in Heaven!" exclaimed Larson when Richard had lifted the lid of the first box, one of the two wider ones that had sat on the outer sides. "I have never seen so much gold in one place!"

Richard, who suspected the other end box contained the same, opened the second box full of gold. The four of us stared at it without another word until Uncle Bennet decided he had to sit down.

"I know you already found a cache of money and other goods in the safe and secret vault," he said shakily. "Knowing that is different from actually seeing this hoard."

Richard wordlessly opened the third box, which was the same length as the other two but only about three inches wide. It contained a layer of folded and tied parchments sitting atop several velvet bags. Undoing the ribbon on one parchment bundle, Richard unfolded it to examine the document.

"This is a bill of sale and deed of property! It transfers ownership of the house and lands of an estate named Brockhurst to Lady Catherine. It is dated from two years ago."

I took the next one from the pile and opened it. "This is the deed for an estate called Sandingum. It is dated 5 years back."

We found seven more deeds in the pile, each for an estate. Lady Catherine had collected nine estates aside from Rosings in the years since Sir Lewis had died!

"I do not understand this," said Richard. "How?" Words seemed to fail him at that point.

Uncle Bennet had stood again and was examining some of the documents. "I do not know the estates," he said thoughtfully, "but I do know some of these names for the previous owners. I read the newspapers even if I do not visit town." He set a few of the deeds to one side. "These five, at least, belonged to men who faced ruin over their debts. She probably manged to purchase them for a pittance."

"Of course," Richard said. "That would also explain some of the irregularities in the books and how she obtained so much money to hide away. If she has been drawing rents from 9 estates other than Rosings, even if they were poorly managed estates, then her hoard of gold makes sense."

"And like an old Norse dragon, she spent her days sitting upon her hoard," chuckled Uncle Bennet.

Richard turned to Larson. "I do not know what shape these estates are in, or what staff they need, but you may be assured of good work on one of them for as long as you desire it."

"I thank you, sir," said the man. "I will always try to give you good service." He paused, then added, "I must admit I am curious as to what might be in those velvet bags."

"I am as well," I said.

Picking a bag at random, Richard opened it and poured the contents into his hand. What lay there gleamed and glittered in the sunlight from the window nearby. I reached over and gently lifted up a delicate necklace of linked gold stars set with diamonds. The matching ear bobs and bracelet still sat in Richard's hand.

"That was my mother's," he whispered. "I remember her wearing it with a gown of sky blue. She was going to a party that evening, but stopped into the nursery to see me because I was not feeling well and had a fever. I remember seeing those sparkling stars as she brushed the hair from my forehead and gave me a kiss. I was Teddy's age then."

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned my head against his. He shuddered a little as if swallowing a sob. None of us spoke until he finally drew a deep breath and poured the jewels from his hand back into the bag. I handed him the necklace and it was put away as well.

"I do not know how Lady Catherine came by these," he said quietly. "They were my mother's private jewelry, not part of the Matlock estate. Uncle George told me her private jewelry was willed to me, but my father would not give to him in trust for me when my uncle took me in. I had always assumed Father sold it."

"I wonder if Lady Catherine stole them somehow? Or if she took them in payment for some debt her brother owed her?"

Richard opened a few more of the bags, just peeking in. We saw the sparkle but not the full effect of the jewelry inside. He did not seem ready to face another memory by looking more closely.

"All of them are jewelry," he said as he closed the last bag and replaced it in the box. "I am glad you found the box before we sent the throne away, Larson. These might have remained hidden for centuries otherwise. Good work."

"I am happy to be of service, sir. I will go finish my drawings now. I think I can design a chair that will be as comfortable without all the ornament as long you can find a skilled man to do the carpentry."

"That would make a nice gift for Aunt Bennet," I said.

"I think we can easily afford to have one made for her," Richard answered with a smile.

"Do not forget your poor old uncle if you are ordering chairs, Philosopher," Uncle Bennet said with a chuckle. "A matching set is what is needed."

"Hmm, that might stretch things too far," a grinning Richard responded.

Larson started to leave, but Richard called him back. "Would you document the mechanism for the hidden compartment? We should probably include that information when we send the chair to the prince regent."

"Yes, sir," answered Larson, and he headed back to the drawing room.

"It looks like you have a new project, Philosopher," Uncle Bennet said while settling back into his chair. "Nine estates to investigate. At least we know where they are all located from the bills of sale."

"Actually this runs more into your line, Scholar," Richard answered with a smirk. "If you will look them up and help make sure the titles are clear and confirm the condition of the estates, then Kitty and Lydia will each have one of them as a dowry."

Uncle Bennet sat up in surprise. "Are you serious, Richard?" he asked, all teasing gone from his tone.

"Very much so. Sophia, I have your approval for this, do I not?"

"Yes, Richard, you do. This is my adopted family, after all. Uncle Bennet, I suggest you enlist Kitty and Lydia to help you with the research. If you guide them they can do much of the work, including writing letters at your dictation to the various stewards or to any investigators we hire. They stand to benefit from the project. It is only fair to have them help work for it."

Uncle Bennet nodded thoughtfully. He was still surprised at the magnitude of the offer, but was also beginning to plan out how to do the necessary research. He looked up again as a thought struck him.

"Do not tell your aunt just yet," he said. "Not until things are settled. She may have fewer attacks of nerves than she used to, but the thought of the girls having estates for their dowries would definitely spark a major attack. That could be dangerous, given her condition."

"We will keep it quiet," I promised him. "Do not tell Kitty and Lydia why they are doing the work. We will can just present it as a project."

"Get Grace involved as well," said Richard. "Her dowry will be one of them as well."

While he spoke, Richard had closed the lids of the boxes full of gold and replaced them, along with the box of jewelry, in the metal container. He kept the deeds out. We would need them for reference.

"I suppose we need a safe hiding place for this," he muttered. "Without the key I cannot re-lock it."

"Is there room in the safe?"

"Yes, that would be best. I can put it away the next time the bishop leaves the study." He went to a cabinet set against one wall and found a drawer the box would fit inside. "This should be safe enough until then, as long someone is here in the library."

"I will be your guard," said Uncle Bennet. "I have planning to do on how to start my research."

"We still have these letters to finish," I said, tapping the paper on which we had been writing.

"I had forgotten all about them," Richard told me with a smile. "Our work awaits."

He came back over and kissed my cheek before settling into his chair. I picked up the quill pen and we started back to work.


	67. Chapter 67

During his visit at Rosings, Mr. Sanders learned that two of our party would be leaving on Saturday. He sent an invitation for dinner Friday night, so he and his wife would have the opportunity to meet us all. Before we went up to dress for dinner Richard had the chance to hide the box in the safe. He showed me where it was and how to get in.

"I believed Mrs. Jenkinson when she told me she was the only person other than Lady Catherine who knew where to find this safe and how to get into it. I certainly found nothing missing, either from here or from the vault when we arrived."

"Sure turned out to be trustworthy in the end. I am glad you gave her a good pension. Mrs. Phipps said she heard Mrs. Jenkinson gave Anne the best of care."

"I have just remembered...I think I saw what looked like old account books in the vault downstairs. I will have to check that out tomorrow before we ride out to inspect the tenant farms. Perhaps some of the records for the nine estates are there."

"I will go through Lady Catherine's chambers. I wonder if there is a hidden safe there as well?"

"She probably did not keep anything out in the open or under her mattress for fear of the maids finding it. Perhaps there is something in the walls or hidden in one of the heavier pieces of furniture. It will do no harm to look."

"Richard, you know that Charles and Jane are considering whether or not to lease Netherfield for another year. I was wondering if one of these estates might be something they could purchase from you?"

"I had been thinking along those lines as well. We need to see what condition they all are in first. My offer of the dowries for Kitty and Lydia is not as generous as you might think. It is an improvement over what they currently have, but these are unlikely to be truly prosperous estates. If Aunt Catherine purchased them at a lowered price there was a reason. She was also not a very good estate manager, which is why Will came here every year to go over the books. She would not have been likely to know how to restore a damaged estate. Spending the necessary money would be even less likely for her."

"So you think the extra funds were just the base rents coming in?"

"Probably. She has to have stewards running the estates. Unless she had something to hold over them they were probably doing only the minimum they could get away with and raking off what they thought she would not notice. If Bingley did purchase one of the estates he would probably have to put a great of work into it. We do not even what size they are yet."

"Well, we can deal with this tomorrow. For now, let us go prepare to meet the neighbors."

We took a moment to share a kiss before heading up to our rooms to change. We were being careful in the corridors after having been seen by the footman, but now we were unlikely to be seen although we could not stay long in a closed room together.

0o0o0o0

Sandershill turned out to be a very pleasant looking house a little smaller than Netherfield, but still a good bit larger than Longbourn. As the name suggested, it sat on a hill and had good view of the surrounding lands. The late afternoon sun brought a warm glow to the gray stone that made up the house. It seemed to welcome us.

Bishop Parkhurst and Mr. Colton had decided to attend despite their bruises, and the twelve people in our group were neatly divided between the two largest of Rosings' carriages. We rode up to the house on a drive lined with flowering trees, now in full bloom. Their fragrance hung sweetly in the air as we stepped down from the carriages at the main door to the house.

We were welcomed into the house and shown to a light and airy drawing room where our hosts awaited us. I was definitely taking note of the decorations, or lack thereof. In addition to Mrs. Sanders and their sons, Archibald and Roland, we were introduced to another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Black, along with their son, Charles and their daughter Ellen. Mrs. Sanders told us that another neighbor, Sir Wesley Fallow, was attending along with his wife and their sixteen year old daughter.

The three young men all appeared to be between eighteen and possibly twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. They seemed more pleased with their own company than with meeting any of us. Miss Black was sixteen or seventeen, and a very pretty young woman with neatly arranged strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She seemed perfectly willing to be friendly and struck up a conversation with Kitty, Lydia and Grace. Mrs. Bennet, Jane and Mary all fell into easy discussion with Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Black while the men struck up their own conversations.

I found myself falling into my governess behavior, standing back a little and keeping an eye on the young ladies. I had just realized what I was doing and turned to head over to join the conversation of the older ladies when I heard Mr. Black asking about Teddy.

"I understand you have a young lad you have brought with you to Rosings. Rumor says he is your son, Colonel. Were you married before?"

"Teddy is my adopted son. He is an orphan whose parents were known to Mr. Bennet. After their deaths a few years ago Mr. Bennet gave him a home. Miss York and I have decided to adopt the boy. We are both very fond of him and already consider him to be our son, although we are not related in any way by blood."

He is a very good boy," said the bishop. "He provided much needed help rescuing Colton and me from our overturned carriage after we were run off the road by two wild young men in a curricle on Tuesday."

I saw both Roland Sanders and Charles Black startle at the bishop's comment. They gave each other a nervous look. I had a feeling I now knew the identities of the wild young men. No proof, but a definite feeling.

"How did the boy help?" Mr. Sanders asked.

"We overturned into a ditch. Colonel Fitzwilliam's party happened along shortly after that. Young Teddy crawled through a gap in the ditch bank and into the carriage through the door window with a rope. We passed him back out the other window and the colonel and his men used the rope pull our carriage up far enough that Colton and I could get out with some help. I tell you, I ache something fierce from the bruises. At that, I was lucky. One of my men died and the driver and two others are badly injured. If I could find those two from the curricle I would give them a good shaking for their heedless stupidity."

Both young men grew pale and turned away, pretending they did not hear. I wondered if they were worried about getting into trouble or it had struck them that their actions caused a man's death.

"Did they not stop to help you?" Mr. Black asked.

"No, they did not, nor did they think to send help. My driver said they just continued flying on their way, laughing as they went. If the colonel's party had not come along then we might have had quite a wait for help if it came at all."

"I always worry about my son," said Mr. Black. "He has a curricle and fast horses. I would hate him do something like that."

Richard caught my eye and jerked his head slightly towards the two younger men. I nodded slightly. He had seen their reactions as well.

"The curricle that hit us will probably have a little damage to it," the bishop was saying. "They clipped us as they ran us off the road. We might have been fine, but one of our wheels hit a rock at the edge of the ditch and the momentum, along with the erratic actions of our frightened horses, caused us to turn over."

Mr. Black returned to his original subject. "So how old is this boy, Teddy? Is that short for Theodore?"

"His name is Thaddeus, Thaddeus Simons. He is almost 9 years old. In fact, we will be celebrating his birthday next month."

"I look forward to meeting him some time," said Mr. Black. Anything else he might have said was interrupted by the arrival of Sir Wesley with his family and by the introductions which followed.

Sir Wesley and Lady Fallow were of an age with our hosts and the Blacks. Their daughter, Miss Fallow seemed to have a similar personality with Lydia, lively and bit bouncy. Even her light brown hair had a good bounce to it. She and Lydia seemed to bond immediately and were soon chatting away about horses and riding.

Lady Fallow struck up a conversation with me in a rather cool voice. "I understand you are soon to be the mistress of Rosings. That must quite a coup for you."

"I consider it good fortune, yes, although I accepted Colonel Fitzwilliam's proposal before we learned of his inheritance of Rosings Park. My father, the late Viscount Stone, would have been pleased to see me with such an honorable and caring man as the colonel. The estate is simply icing on the cake."

She looked a bit sour at the way I had turned aside her insinuation. I had a feeling Lady Fallow would _not_ be one of my close friends in the neighborhood.

"Will your sister be living with you?"

"Yes, both she and a young boy my betrothed and I have chosen to adopt will make up our family party at Rosings. That is, when she is not visiting with one of our cousins. Our cousin, Elizabeth, who is now Mrs. Darcy, has suggested Grace might join Miss Darcy when she is presented and comes out in London next year. The Duchess of Montrose has offered to introduce the young ladies to society. My youngest cousins will also be joining them."

Her look turned very sour at the mention of the duchess. If she wanted to be haughty I could drop names with the best of them now. I matched my tone to hers with my answers.

"And how do you know the duchess?" She asked in a tone of disbelief.

"The Duke of Montrose was a friend of my father. They often played chess together. He is also Mr. Darcy's godfather and attended the festivities when Mr. Darcy married my cousin last December."

"Oh, yes, I had heard he was married. Lady Catherine always insisted he was engaged to _her_ daughter."

"Neither Mr. Darcy nor Miss de Bourgh agreed to an engagement. Mr. Darcy says it was only Lady Catherine's wish. As I am sure you are aware, Lady Catherine often tried to impose her will on others no matter what they might have to say on the matter. Mr. Darcy is a man of firm will, however, and he was bound by no contract."

"It is true Lady Catherine _did_ like to meddle. I am surprised Mr. Darcy married a woman of so little consequence."

"He married for love, which my cousin offers him in abundance. They are very well suited to one another, as I am sure you will see for yourself when next they visit. Mr. Darcy is very fond of _all_ my family and considers us to have all the consequence he might need."

"Indeed. And Mrs. Bingley, she is the eldest of your cousins?"

"Yes. She met Mr. Bingley when he leased an estate next to Longbourn, the Bennet estate. Mr. Darcy is Mr. Bingley's closest friend and came to visit with him. The colonel joined them later and we were all in company together on many occasions."

"How fortunate for your family. Three good marriages from a single visiting party."

"Four, actually. Dr. Burrows is a long time friend of Mr. Darcy and he joined the party to treat Miss Darcy after she was injured during the visit. He quickly decided my cousin Mary was the perfect wife for him and they were married in a joint ceremony with the Darcys."

My answer pleased her as little as the rest of the conversation. Before she could decide on another angle of attack we were called in to dinner.

The conversation at dinner was much more pleasant. I sat between Archibald Sanders and Mr. Colton. All three of us had a lively discussion that ranged over books, a little bit of politics and the condition of Rosings Park. I knew Mr. Colton to be an intelligent man, but we had spoken very little to each other previously. He seemed to be feeling better and was exerting himself to participate. Miss Sanders, who sat on his other side joined in a bit as well.

Richard was seated near Lady Fallow. I think she was grilling him to confirm what I had told her. He had been close enough in the drawing room to catch most of our conversation. In fact I suspect he would have interrupted if I had been less able to handle her. From his spot behind her I had been able to watch the lift of his eyebrows when she made the comment about how little consequence the Bennets had. He would back up my every word and add a few of his own if needed.

Across the table I watched Roland Sanders and Charles Black trying to flirt a bit with Miss Fallow, Kitty, Lydia and Grace. I was proud of the careful and demure behavior the girls exhibited, particularly when Miss Fallow was a bit too unguarded in her response. Of course, she knew the young men. I mainly glad the Lydia did not take her manners as an example to follow.

I could tell we all enjoyed the food. I think our cook at Rosings was a little more skilled, but one could certainly not fault either the dishes or the presentation. It was very well done overall.

After the meal the ladies moved to the music room while the gentlemen enjoyed their port. Mrs. Sanders asked if any of us would oblige by playing for the company. Mary stepped forward and played a lovely piece. Her lessons with the music master had improved her playing greatly.

While Mary played I saw Lady Fallow try to corner Aunt Bennet. I moved to join them, but it was Mrs. Sanders who stepped in.

"No, no, Amelia," she said to Lady Fallow. "I will not have you coming over here to grill my new friend and upset her. I am enjoying my discussion with her about her upcoming happy event."

Lady Fallow looked quite put out, but apparently could not resist a barb. "You are expecting? How brave of you after so many daughters. You must feel quite bold after the lucky matches your eldest have made."

Aunt Bennet responded sweetly, "I feel quite _fortunate_ my daughters have married such kind and loving men. We have much to be happy about. I hope your daughter finds similar felicity and good fortune in marriage one day."

Lady Fallow thanked her sourly and went off to have a try with Jane. As I moved to take Mary's place at the pianoforte I could see Jane gently turning aside every attempt to discompose her. Mary caught my eye as she stood and we nodded to each other. As I sat to play she went over to support her sister, as unnecessary as that seemed to be.

The gentlemen rejoined us as I was playing. Richard immediately came to stand by me as I finished my party piece. We moved to sit by the Blacks while Grace played accompaniment while Kitty and Lydia sang. It was a good performance and I was proud of them.

Bishop Parkhurst asked the we be excused soon after on account of his injuries. Despite Lady Fallow I had enjoyed meeting the people who would soon be my neighbors. Everyone in my carriage during the return trip agreed it was a pleasant evening. I did not think I would be ready to host the Sanders family before we returned to Hertfordshire, but I would definitely do so soon after Richard and I were married.

It was late when we reached the house and everyone was ready to retire. I would have to wait until the next morning to discuss the events and revelations of the evening with Richard. I hoped we could find a little time after Mary and Daniel left for London and before the inspection party left for their tour of grounds and tenant homes.

Richard seemed of the same mind. "We can talk tomorrow morning, Sophia. I think we have much to discuss. I did want you to know I was impressed by the way you handled Lady Fallow. Good job, Dearest."

We bid each other a good night over the happy conversations of our family. I looked forward to our discussion the next morning.

* * *

 _AN: Anyone think Lady Fallow might be related to Caroline Bingley? Not that she would admit such a low connection, although she might recognize her as Lady Curlow. :oD_


	68. Chapter 68

Richard and I were taking a stroll in the side garden after bidding Mary and Daniel a safe journey on their way back to London. Daniel had spent the morning checking on all his patients and was able to leave feeling assured the five men were all doing as well as could be expected and no more serious injuries had been hidden behind the bruises. He assured the rest of us that Aunt Bennet's condition was also progressing as expected although he cautioned us against sudden upsets to her nerves or allowing her to overtire herself. When he told us that I thought about the nine estates. Uncle Bennet was right not to mention the possibility that Kitty and Lydia might each have estates as dowries soon.

I had been so busy in the house this was the first time I had visited the gardens. Stiffly formal in its arrangement, with the every plant in a planned location and colors displayed in regimented rows, it was still a cheerful place with spring flowers blooming. As we walked Richard and I would be in full view of anyone who cared to look out the windows, but we still had privacy to talk.

"I wish you had seen it, Sophia," Richard said to me. "I thought those two boys would wet themselves when I told them I had noticed their reactions to the bishop's tale of the accident and wondered if young Black's curricle had suffered a little damage this week."

"Did they try to deny it?"

"They both saw I had their measure. I doubt they had the damage fixed yet and even if they had I could easily find who had done the work. The Black boy asked if I would tell their fathers. They relaxed a bit when I told them that was not my place, but turned almost green when I told them it was theirs. I had pulled them both off to the side of the room and we were speaking quietly. The other men were listening to Uncle Bennet tell the tale of Collins and the pie."

"So you did not march them over to their fathers?"

"Oh, no. Although we know it was them, nothing was to be gained by making accusations without real proof in hand. The bishop never saw them and I am not sure the driver would recognize them. Aside from that I wanted to give them an opportunity to learn something."

"What did you do?"

"I told them I enjoyed a good fast ride or drive as much as any man, but I am a man and there are some differences between reacting as a man and reacting as a boy. I told them their actions placed them firmly in the realm of the boys and showed less maturity than my eight year old adopted son. They looked both ashamed and indignant at that, but I went on. A man may take risks, I told them. He may ride a wild horse or he may drive fast, but he also takes note of the conditions around him and takes his risks in ways that are less likely to hurt others. One man died because of their actions. Five more were injured severely, a carriage was destroyed and it was only by chance the four horses drawing the carriage escaped without harm. I drove my next points home to them: A _man_ would have known the danger of taking that rise and curve too fast on a public road. A _man_ would have stopped to offer help and try to make amends if he caused an accident of that kind. A _man_ would stop and offer help even if he had not caused the accident. A _boy_ runs away and tries to hide what he has done, ignoring the consequences his actions place on others."

"How did they react to that?"

"They hung their heads like whipped puppies. They knew they had made a mess in the house. I let them know they could not change what they had done before. They could not heal the injured or bring the dead man back to life. They did have a choice before them. Would they continue to behave as boys and hide, or would they own up to their faults and become men? The others had noticed we were not having a cheerful conversation in our corner, so I finished up. I told them this was not the time or place for the discussion with their fathers, but if they wanted to move on to being men instead of boys they would have that discussion once they were out of company."

"Do you think they will?"

"It is hard to say. They are boys and I could see they were afraid. I was asking something very difficult of them. It would have come better from someone they knew and respected. I have had those conversations with young soldiers in my unit and they will usually step up and do the right thing in order to earn _my_ respect. I am a stranger to these two boys. I do not know if my words will carry enough weight to support them in taking the first, most difficult, step."

"By telling their fathers you set them up to remain boys, is that it? They would be punished but not learn how to be better men?"

"Exactly. It is taking a chance. They may ignore me completely and hurt even more people with their foolishness."

"But they may also step up to become worthy men."

"That is my hope. I will, of course, keep an eye and ear out for rumors they are still being stupid and heedless. If they show no improvement I will talk to their fathers, although perhaps not accuse them of this incident. These are our neighbors, Sophia, and I want to enter their midst on good terms. Lady Catherine would have demanded blood just for the principle of the thing. I do not want to be that person."

"From what I hear, it is more likely she would have kept their secret and used it as a way to gain control in their families."

Richard sighed. "Yes, that is more likely." He sighed again.

"Do you think those ledgers you found this morning will shed some light on the situation with the estates?"

"It looks very hopeful. Bennet thinks he can work out from the notes which ledger goes to which estate. The packet of letters will be even more useful. They seemed to be quarterly reports from the various stewards. He wants to dig right in to them, but we really do need to ride the estate today. Bingley and I could do that with Teddy, but Lydia is determined to go and it would go better with Bennet along as well. He is the only one of us who really has run an estate for years, whether he ran it to the best of his ability or not."

We both laughed. Uncle Bennet's indolent management of Longbourn in the past was well known to us. The entire family enjoyed teasing him about it, but that was always tinged with relief that he had stepped up to his responsibilities now. I realized that he had changed from acting like a boy and was now acting like a man under Richard's definition. Uncle Bennet would probably be amused by that thought, although he might be somewhat offended as well.

"Next year I think we will rearrange part of these gardens," I told Richard.

"Give them a little more life and spontaneity?" he asked

"Yes. They are pretty, but I do not feel flowers were meant to be constrained and segmented in this way. It reminds me of the painting a beginner would do when first learning perspective while also using just the basic colors, being too afraid to mix the paints."

Richard looked around and laughed. "Yes, there is rather limited palette displayed here. No half tones or shading allowed. The tulips are bright red or yellow. No peach, orange, pink or scarlet. The white flowers are white, not cream or pink-tinged. I wonder how the gardener managed the effect?"

"He must have the under-gardeners constantly pulling out any blossoms that do not match the approved color scheme. I expect when the roses bloom they will show the same constancy."

"Yes, I can imagine them out here painting the roses red if they open with some color Aunt Catherine did not want."

"I will have a word with our head gardener and let him know I am perfectly happy to have some variety in our color schemes. Otherwise I suppose the work will continue on the way Lady Catherine dictated, simply from habit. I see Lydia waving from the step there. It looks like she is impatient to start the ride. I should probably go in too. Larson wants me to check the work they have done on the dining room chairs."

"I saw of few of the finished ones yesterday when I visited his workroom to ask him not to spread word about the contents of the metal box. I think you will approve of his work. It looked very good to me, anyway, and the chairs I sat on were vastly improved in comfort from what I remember."

We walked over to where Lydia waited. Before we arrived she was already talking.

"Richard! Come on! We need to start our tour before the day is half-way over!"

"Calm yourself, Lydia, or I will not let you accompany us at all." he answered with a laugh.

She displayed the pout that was once her standard look. At my raised eyebrow and the warning tones as I said her name, she realized what she was doing and wiped the pout from her face.

"Sorry, Sophia," she murmured.

"Old habits die hard," I said kindly. Richard just laughed.

"I take the horses are being readied?" he asked her.

"Papa said we had to wait to ask until you came back from your walk. I think he was hoping you would take a long time. He wants to read those old letters you brought him this morning. Teddy and Charles are with him in the study. They are playing with those old soldiers while Papa reads."

"Well, let us go roust him out of his chair and onto the back of his horse," said Richard with a smile as we entered the house. He gestured a footman to come over, then turned and kissed my cheek. "Go give Larson your verdict on his work," he said. "Our little party will be off as soon as the horses are ready."

I gave his arm a gentle squeeze before I stepped away from his side. We parted ways as he gave his orders to the footman and I headed off to Larson's workroom.

0o0o0o0

"I am astounded at the improvement from just removing those wooden bars," I told Larson as I sat on one of the refinished dining room chairs.

"These are good quality chairs, Miss. No matter what Lady Catherine had done to them after, she bought the best."

"I cannot even tell that you removed the coverings to do the work. They look like new."

"It helps to have the right tools, Miss. Eben Peters left everything I could need for this work in that locker of his. It was a stroke of good fortune his brother offered you their use."

"Would he be offended if we offered to pay him for the tools? And if not, what would be a fair price?"

"I think Nat Peters would be right glad if you would buy those tools from him. He is supporting a family including his brother's daughter and her child. The girl's husband died in France shortly after Eben Peters died. Nat Peters couldn't see letting the girl starve, but it has been hard going on the wages Lady Catherine paid. If you do not mind my saying, Miss, the offer would be more comfortable to him if it came from the colonel. It may take a little while for the outside staff to understand you are different from Lady Catherine."

"That is good to know, Larson. So if I wanted to let the head gardener know I do not want the gardens so formally kept that would be better coming from the colonel as well?"

"True enough, Miss. I think they want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but it is always a little harder knowing what to say to a young lady and Lady Catherine did much harm here."

"I appreciate your advice, Larson. I know this is not the work you expected to be doing when you came here. Do you mind?"

He gave me a brilliant smile. "On the contrary, Miss. I am enjoying this immensely. I have always loved this kind of work. It broke me up when my master's business failed due to some bad investments he made and I had to find something else to keep me going. A man needs the right tools and shop or a name to get such work and I had none of those. I cannot complain about the other work I have done. I liked that well enough. But getting another taste of this work has reminded me of what I lost. Had I the money I would buy the contents of that locker myself and see if I could make a go of it."

"The colonel has promised you work for as long as you want it. If this is the kind of work you prefer then he will make that opportunity for you and I am sure those tools will be yours to use as long as you are in his employ."

"I am right glad to hear that, Miss. I want you to know I will do my best work for you both. I will make a list of what was in the locker and let the colonel know what would be a fair price for it."

"I will tell him to expect the list from you."

We went on to discuss which pieces I wanted him to work on after the dining room was complete. I identified the items I wanted fixed and moved to my new drawing room. He also showed me the designs he had drawn up for Aunt Bennet's new chair.

"Nat Peters told me there is a fine woodworker over in Dilbury, near Sandershill, who could probably do the work. The draper in Ravencroft carries some very fine fabrics as well, he said. Lady Catherine often ordered from Ravencroft instead of traveling to London. The town is just above ten miles south of here."

"That is close enough for a pleasant afternoon drive. I could take my aunt to pick her fabric for her chair and I might find some sheer fabric to replace those brocade curtains in the corridors, and my new drawing room. I like your design for the chair. It has beautiful lines. I especially like the curves on the legs and back. If you come up with more designs please show them to me. I will be moving the good furniture around the house, but a few new pieces would not go amiss."

"Thank you, Miss. I do have a few ideas I have played with over the years. If you do not mind my bringing it up, Miss, Nat Peters says his niece is always on the lookout for seamstress work. If you buy fabric for new curtains you will need someone to do the sewing up."

"The suggestion has merit. I want to employ the local people where I can. I will also ask Mrs. Phipps who else in the village or on the tenant farms would want such work."

"Mrs. Phipps is a canny one. She will know who is best for your work and who is not."

I nodded agreement with that. I had a feeling that Mrs. Phipps was Hunsford's counterpart to Mrs. Nicholls and Mrs. Hill in Meryton. Richard had chosen well when he brought her to be Teddy's nurse. After a little more discussion, I left Larson to his work and went to talk with Mrs. Phipps.

* * *

 _AN: For those of you who recognized the Disney quote, it was deliberate and I was singing the song in my head as I wrote._ ;oD


	69. Chapter 69

Mr. Greene's sermon Sunday morning spoke to the qualities of forgiveness and mercy. He had written it himself, not relying on the published sermons available. I found him to be a compelling speaker who chose his texts with care and drove the lesson home without having to bludgeon his audience with it. If this was an example of his usual type of sermon I would enjoy attending services regularly after we returned to take permanent residence.

The subject was an apt one. Both forgiveness and mercy were needed in this neighborhood. We had the obvious problems caused by Lady Catherine and, to a lesser extent, by Mr. Collins. I knew no matter how we tried, Richard and I might cause our share of problems as we learned, which would need forgiveness, even as we needed to forgive any errors by the staff as they adjusted to our ways after so many years with his aunt.

The bishop had found his own moment to remember the teachings of forgiveness and mercy the afternoon before, when Mr. Black and his son arrived to pay a call. The bishop told us of the interview after dinner. It turned out that young Mr. Black had chosen to behave like a man. He had informed his father of his culpability in the crash and offered to make what amends he could. His father had brought him to speak with the bishop along with an offer to replace the carriage and make amends to the family of the dead man. Young Mr. Black agreed to accept his punishment if the bishop demanded anything further of him. It was a brave offer.

The bishop's response was filled with both forgiveness and mercy. While he accepted the offer to replace the carriage, he let them know he had purchased one of Lady Catherine's carriages from Richard at a greatly reduced price. He allowed them to pay him that same reduced price, but insisted it must be felt in the younger man's allowance, not just the father's bank book. As he had told us, the footman who had died had no family living. However, the driver would be unable to work for some time as he healed. The bishop asked they pay a quarter's salary to the man and asked them to provide a headstone for Parker's grave. If these agreements were carried out faithfully he would name no further punishment.

Richard's form of mercy bore sound fruit. I hoped Roland Sanders found the same courage before others told his father he had been in the curricle with Charles Black. He may not have been the driver, but Roland Sanders was still a party to concealing what they had done and driving away without offering help. Time would tell if he behaved as a man or remained a boy.

Also on Saturday afternoon I had received a note from Mrs. Sanders. She apologized for inflicting Lady Fallow on us at the dinner party. She explained Sir Wesley and his family had been invited to dinner before she had invited us and it would have been rude to exclude them. Sir Wesley was very well-respected in the neighborhood, she told me, and Lady Fallow's occasional snobbery was tolerated for his sake. She assured me Lady Fallow would improve on acquaintance, especially after the skillful way I had handled her questioning. She hoped any discomfort we may have felt in her home due to Lady Fallow's presence would not prevent us from becoming friends in the future.

In my return note I assured her I did not hold Lady Fallow's behavior against her. We would have met Sir Wesley and his family sooner or later and the discomfort from the occasion was minimal. I had run across many women of similar character in town, I told her, and survived intact. I would take my neighbors as I found them and looked forward to meeting them all. I finished with the hope we would see her family join us for dinner sometime soon after my marriage.

Our estate investigation team had come back Saturday afternoon with good news, which they shared in the library after dinner that evening. While some repairs would definitely be needed, the tenant houses were in generally good shape. That was due in large part to work Mr. Darcy had insisted on having done in years past, usually over Lady Catherine's objections. He made sure the houses were structurally sound and that bridges and fences were mended. The wells and irrigation channels were kept in good working order to prevent harm from too much or too little water. Most problems were ones that had come up in the past year, not things caused by long-standing neglect.

"I thought the tenants would be happier to see us," Lydia said. "After all, we are not Lady Catherine. They were not truly unfriendly, but they did not welcome us the way Longbourn's tenants do."

"Some of the men were disconcerted by the presence of Lydia and Teddy in our group," Richard chuckled. "I had hoped they would break the tension a bit and I think it worked. Of course, I also know many of the men from previous visits and I hoped they would associate me with all the good Will managed to do for them."

"Did anyone protest you arriving with an entourage?" I asked.

"We gained a few odd looks but no one said anything directly. Introducing the group and explaining the relationships resolved much of the awkwardness. It seemed pretty natural to bring my betrothed's uncle along as well as the husband of one of her cousins. When they learned Bingley is one of Will's friends he gained many approving nods. They felt it only right and proper to bring my adopted son since he will need to learn how to manage an estate. Lydia was the mystery. A young woman interested in estate matters was a little outside their experience. Even Lady Catherine had little interest in the actual running of the estate. She gave many orders, but rarely visited unless she was seriously displeased about something a tenant or his family had done."

"It surprised them I knew anything at all," Lydia crowed. "I _have_ been paying attention to Papa. I tried to follow what you told me, Sophia. I kept my mouth shut unless I was asking a question or fairly sure I knew what I was talking about."

"She did very well," Uncle Bennet agreed. "She had a good eye for spotting things that needed repairing and asked for information when the situation was not clear. The farmers seemed to warm to her by the end of the visits."

"I hope you do not mind, Sophia," Richard said, "but I warned the farmers that you and Grace would be coming by to visit with their wives when we returned after the wedding. I assured them you would only be coming to get to know each family and what their needs might be. You would not attempt to run their houses or tell them how to decorate or what to eat. Most laughed at that statement, but it was nervous laughter. You will need to earn their trust."

"I will do my best," I told him. "At least tenant visits are familiar to me from working with my mother and father at Stone Landing. I have an example to follow. I know Grace will learn quickly as well."

"I have left the tenant visits at Longbourn to Jane and Lizzy for several years. I will need to get back to that and train Kitty and Lydia as well," Aunt Bennet said thoughtfully.

"When we get back to Longbourn Jane can take Lydia and me around and show us what is needed," Kitty offered. "We do not want you to become too tired, Mama."

"You are a good girl, Kitty, but it is my responsibility and I have shirked it too long. I would appreciate Jane's company to help ease us into it, however."

"Of course, Mama. I will be happy to go with you," Jane assured her.

Between discussion of the estate and the bishop's description of his interview with the Blacks our evening ended on a happy note. Now here we were, getting ready to file out of the family pews after services. The pews were in a fenced off area of the church floor. Clearly Lady Catherine had wished to remain apart from the common folk. I knew many of the noble families did the same in the churches on their estates, but I was used to worshiping with my neighbors. I would have to speak with Richard to see if the dividers could be taken down without damage to the pews. It did not need to be done immediately, but I did want it done some time. This was our community and those walls represented the divisions we needed to break down.

The villagers allowed our party to file out of the church first. We all thanked Mr. Greene for the sermon. Bishop Parkhurst offered his hearty approval and loudly stated his pleasure in Mr. Greene taking the living. Some of that was show for the villagers, but it carried an air of sincerity as well. He stood by Mr. Greene's side as the people left the church.

We did not immediately leave, as I expect Lady Catherine had done in the past. Instead we waited in the churchyard so Richard could make introductions with some of the villagers he knew. The people were wary of us. We could see that. They also seemed to take Mr. Greene's message to heart. A few of the village boys looked like they might come over to talk with Teddy, but their parents held them back at first. Mrs. Phipps bustled over to stand with Teddy and that broke the ice a bit. After Mrs. Phipps gave the parents a nod they let the boys come over. Soon Teddy was part of a small group of boys talking about playing ball and other games.

We had a few words with each of the families Richard knew. The men who had helped deal with the smugglers were the least hesitant to bring their families over to meet us. A few of them thanked Richard for giving the living to Mr. Greene. The former curate was well-liked, clearly. As for us, we just did our best to appear pleasant and inoffensive.

After a little while we called Teddy away from the boys and boarded our carriages. Mrs. Henderson presented us with a simple but tasty luncheon shortly after our return. Kitty and I had worked with her to prepare menus for our remaining time at Rosings. Our cook was pleased to learn we preferred simpler fare than Lady Catherine had.

"She were one who liked to impress," Mrs. Henderson told us. "Even if the only person around to impress was herself. I can cook the fancy foods, any time you wish, Miss. I prefer to make the plainer dishes when I can. Good ingredients need little seasoning nor sauce."

I thought we would get along very well. She did not blink an eye when I told her might need her kitchen on occasion to bake Richard's favorite biscuits.

"I have noticed he has a fondness for the baked goods," was all she said.

Aunt Bennet went up to her room for a nap after the meal, while the bishop and Mr. Colton retired to the study. Jane and Charles decided to take a walk in the gardens, leaving the rest of us to take a look at the ledgers and letters Richard found in the vault.

"I made good progress on this yesterday evening," Uncle Bennet told us. "By comparing the deeds and bills of sale with the ledgers I think I have managed to match them up. Some of the ledgers seem to have been the ones that belonged to the estate before the sales. The rest record income and expenses from after the sale. There are three ledgers here that do not match up to any of the documents for the estates. I think they are investment funds."

"What a tangle she has left for us," Richard said, shaking his head in dismay.

"It is not so very bad, Philosopher. These letters will provide the keys we need to figure out the ledgers. Now, I have grouped the ledgers together by estate here on this table I had the footmen bring in. I have the names of each estate on a card set beneath the group of ledgers that belongs to it."

"Excellent work, Scholar. Have you divided up the letters or should we just start picking them at random and see if we can match them up?"

"They seem to have been placed in this box randomly, so I think it best we each draw one out and see if we can start making matches."

We all did as he suggested. My letter was a quarterly update from about a year ago. I was able to match the details with the ledgers for an estate called Eldenhall. From the bill of sale I could locate the estate in Shropshire near the town of Ellesmere. From the update letter and the ledger notes it appeared to be a smaller estate, probably similar to Longbourn. The estate was mainly concerned in raising sheep for wool, although some sales for meat were recorded as well. I used the sheet of paper Uncle Bennet had placed with the ledgers to record the information I found into the form he created. He had already noted the name of the estate, the general location and the date of sale. I added the name of the steward, the principle product and a few other details I gleaned from the letter. I put the letter on the table with the other documents for Eldenhall and went back to the box of letters to see if I could find more quarterly reports in the same handwriting.

Eventually I had a stack of fourteen letters which covered every quarterly report from the date of sale to the last report before Lady Catherine's death. From the timing of each report we could probably expect the next one to arrive in a few days. If I was reading the information correctly Eldenhall was just barely profitable. Whether that small margin was due to mismanagement or theft on the part of the steward or tenants would not become clear until Richard or someone he used as an agent was able to visit and evaluate the estate.

The others were making similar discoveries. Lydia was delighted to discover records from an estate called Thornapple that primarily raised horses. Seeing her excitement with records of births and sales of various horses, Richard, Uncle Bennet and I shared a conspiratorial look. Lydia might have found her estate.

Kitty had found the records for Sandingum, a small estate in Devon that was home to a large herd of dairy cattle. She made her notes and added her stack of letters to the ledgers, then set off to find another estate.

Richard had drawn a letter from Eldenhall at first, but on discovering I was already working on that estate he set it aside. He ended up with Brockhurst, an estate in Hertfordshire a good way to the north and east of Meryton. It was similar to Longbourn in both size and production, being largely given over to farming.

Uncle Bennet was tracing correspondence related to one of the investments, a coal mining venture which seemed to be an a longstanding item. He said the returns were reasonable, although not spectacular.

My second try at the pile turned up another fairly recent acquisition, also largely concerned with wool production although the farms made up a greater proportion of the income than at Eldenhall. Castlemere was in Nottinghamshire, not far from Nottingham. I realized my two were probably close enough to Pemberley that Mr. Darcy might be able to check them out for us.

Kitty's second pull was Upford Hall, located a little bit to the south of us in Kent. It was the first of the estates Lady Catherine purchased and Kitty had several update letters to find. That task was a little easier because we had already pulled so many from the box.

By the end of the afternoon we had letters separated out for the remaining three estates, Myrtleridge, Brierford Place and Hazeldell House. The remaining two investments were another mining venture and a fabric mill. Richard had a good laugh at his aunt's ties to trade through those investments.

We found a pattern that proved what Richard had told me on Saturday. All the estates were profitable, but none as profitable as they should have been. Richard's supposition that they were either being mismanaged or there was deliberate theft involved seemed likely.

Eldenhall, Castlemere and Myrtleridge were all close enough to Pemberley for Mr. Darcy or one of his people to check out for us. Upford Hall and Hazeldell House, which was in Surrey, could be checked out by Richard since they were less than a day's ride away. Sandingum was the furthest away, off in Devon, but Brieford Place would be on the way there, in Wiltshire, near Trowbridge. Each of the forms was now filled with important details about the estates. Between the letters and the ledgers, Uncle Bennet could look through the records to spot any glaring inconsistencies or suspicious entries. That way whoever went to check out the estate would have a good idea what to look for. Richard asked him to Upford Hall and Hazeldell House. If he was not called back to Meryton he could visit them both this coming week.

Lydia went back to the records for Thornapple. She might not know much about horse breeding, but she said she knew how to look for patterns and the estate intrigued her. Richard told her to go ahead and look. She might just spot something no one else would.

When we finally joined the rest of the family for dinner we felt satisfied with our work and the progress we had made. We had tentative plans for learning more about each estate and the information did not feel as overwhelming as it had at first. It had been a good day for our family.


	70. Chapter 70

Monday turned into a day for estate business. Richard wanted to make arrangements for the most pressing repairs to the tenant houses. He took Lydia and Teddy with him for a ride into Hunsford to hire what help he could in the village. They planned to go to Dilbury as well, where he would speak with the furniture maker about working with Larson on Aunt Bennet's chair as well as hiring the man and any others he recommended for the repair work.

Uncle Bennet decided to stay in the library and continue work examining ledgers. Kitty and Grace joined him. Lydia had already completed a surprisingly thorough review of Thornapple. She identified several potential areas of concern, including inflated grain prices and a few horses that mysteriously dropped off the roster or that should have had foals when none were added. She also had concerns about the household costs. She felt too many people were on the payroll for a house that should really only have a skeleton staff. The other costs seemed proportionally too high as well. A surprise visit to the estate would be in order, in her opinion. Richard agreed.

Lydia's findings about household costs prompted the remaining three researchers to look more closely at the other estates. Lady Catherine would probably have missed an inflated budget for a smaller household since it would still be lower than the budget for Rosings. All of these estates seemed similar in size to Longbourn, so if they were supposed to be unoccupied by a resident family the household budgets should be smaller than Longbourn's. Kitty and Grace started breaking down the costs listed.

I decided to take a short trip to Ravencroft along with Aunt Bennet, Jane and Charles. We intended to visit the drapers there and pick out some fabrics. Richard gave me money enough for several bolts of sheer fabric so we could bring the fabrics back with us. From Mrs. Phipps I had a list of local women who could be trusted to do the work of cutting, hemming and hanging the new curtains. The lengths of brocade could be taken down, laundered and re-purposed for upholstery or sold.

Aunt Bennet bubbled with excitement at the thought of shopping in an unknown town. We took the Bingley carriage and had two Netherfield footmen for protection and one Rosings footman to help the driver with directions. Our carriage rolled smoothly along the road, unhindered by speeding curricles or other hazards. We passed several fields, bounded by green or blooming hedges, and a few manor houses set back from the road. The road led through some smaller villages, while winding around small hills or up and over them.

"Sophia, do you think we might find a place that serves chocolate in Ravencroft?" Aunt Bennet asked as we neared the town. "I would dearly love a good cup."

"Oh, yes," said Jane. "I would enjoy some as well."

I looked out the window at the town ahead. "It certainly looks large enough to boast a chocolate shop. After we visit the drapers we can find one and have a little treat for ourselves and bring some back to Rosings for later. I had not realized before we arrived that Lady Catherine would not approve of indulgences like chocolate. I would have thought she had her own private stash."

"With all the surprising things we have been finding there, her personal stash my turn up yet," said Charles with a laugh.

"I have not found it in her personal chambers yet," I told them. "Perhaps she just did not care for the taste and denied it to everyone else just because she could."

"That sounds like her," Charles responded.

We found the drapers Larson had heard about from Peters. The shop assistant quickly called for the proprietor when he learned we had come from Rosings Park. Mr. Harris, a fussy looking man, emerged from his back room in a rush to greet us.

"Rosings Park, is it? I had heard the nephew in the army inherited. Are you relatives, then?" He asked after welcoming us to his shop.

"I am engaged to marry Colonel Fitzwilliam, the new owner. This lady is my aunt and they are her daughter and son-in-law. Along with the colonel, our family party is visiting Rosings so that I may make a start on redecorating. I find the interior to be rather...dark. It will be improved by allowing more light inside, so I plan to replace the heavy brocade curtains with more sheer fabrics. I may be ordering several bolts over time, but would definitely like to bring a few back with me today so my seamstresses can start with the replacements immediately."

He brightened at the prospect of immediate purchases. "I will be happy to show you our sheers and other lightweight fabrics. We have a wide variety. Are you looking for anything else at this time?"

"My aunt will be looking for fabric suitable for a chair seat and back. We are having a pair of chairs custom made for my aunt and uncle by a local craftsman. She would like to pick out something that will please her and match the colors of her drawing room."

"Very good, Miss. Very good. I shall have my assistant show your aunt our range of upholstery fabrics while I show you the sheers, if that is acceptable."

Charles spoke up. "I really have no interest in fabric. If you ladies are fine here, I will take a little walk around and be back to check on you in a half hour."

We all agreed that was acceptable. Jane and Aunt Bennet followed the assistant, while I went to look at the sheer fabrics. My eye was instantly caught by very pale green fabric covered with a delicate trace work of embroidery in pale yellow silk. It was both too expensive and too excessive for the corridors, but my eye kept returning to it again and again. Perhaps my new drawing room…

By the time Charles returned forty-five minutes later I had selected a very nice lightweight fabric decorated with open-weave segments. It was not quite sheer, but it would still let in the light very well. Despite the lower price compared to some of the sheers, the quality appeared good. Mr. Harris tried to direct me back to that green fabric I liked so well, but I told him the room I had in mind for it would have to wait.

With Jane's help, Aunt Bennet selected a nice-looking fabric that would blend well in the Longbourn drawing room. We had enough cut for four chairs according to the measurements Larson had given us. The extra would be for backup in case of problems or damage. I paid for her fabric and my bolts of cloth, much to the delight of Mr. Harris, who had clearly worried we might ask for credit. Our purchase was wrapped in heavy canvas for protection and loaded atop our carriage.

"I found a chocolate shop," Charles announced as we left the drapers. "It is just a little down the street if you would care to walk."

We made our way there at a gentle walk. The delicious aroma of chocolate greeted us at the door and drew us inside. The shop had small tables set up for the patrons and seemed popular since only two tables were empty. We took one and were soon sipping our steaming hot cups of fresh chocolate. After the first sip I went to the counter and purchased a container of their chocolate to take home with me.

"I do so enjoy this," Aunt Bennet said a little while later, putting down her cup to nibble at a small pastry from the selection we had ordered. "I do not often serve chocolate at Longbourn, but I keep it on hand. There are times I simply crave the taste."

"Elizabeth enjoyed stopping for chocolate at a shop we found in London. Georgiana and I enjoyed it as well, but Mr. Darcy preferred coffee."

We chatted about this and that while we enjoyed the treat. I was thinking it was about time to return when I heard someone at another table mention something about Upford Hall. I turned to the table and discovered two older women talking to one another over their chocolate.

"Pray pardon the intrusion," I said. "I thought I heard you mention Upford Hall. I heard of it recently and wondered if you could tell me anything about it."

Both ladies seemed willing enough to talk and not at all bothered being asked questions by a complete stranger.

"Well, Miss," said one, "I was just telling my friend here I heard the Mortons are hoping they will not have any problems from the heirs of Lady Catherine."

"I understand Lady Catherine purchased Upford Hall several years ago," I said.

"Well, that was the story, but after she paid them the Mortons just kept on living there, quiet like. They paid off all the debts the eldest one had gotten in trouble over and sent him off to the Canadas. They set the next son up to act as her ladyship's steward under a different name. Then they just stayed there. It has only recently come out. Nobody dared say a word when Lady Catherine de Bourgh was still alive. I heard _she_ was a controlling busybody. Now that she is gone, though, the Mortons are hoping the heir has no idea about the purchase. It seems her ladyship always kept her business very quiet and on the sly."

"Folk are talking now that never talked before," said the other lady. "Myself, I hope the heir does find out. In fact I would tell him myself if I knew him. I understand he is a pretty good sort and it is a rotten trick to sell something and keep it at the same time."

Aunt Bennet made as if to say something, but I shook my head slightly and Jane put a hand on her mother's arm to quiet her.

"Well that is quite the bit of news I said. I imagine the gossip will be all over before too long."

"That it will, Miss," said the first lady, "that it will."

I thanked them both for the information, then we made our way out of the shop. As we got outside Aunt Bennet asked why we had not mentioned we were staying at Rosings.

"The way those two were gossiping, the Mortons would have learned of our interest and made themselves scarce. By keeping quiet it is still just gossip. When we get back we will tell Richard what we learned and he can take whatever action he feels is best."

"I had a feeling that was your plan," said Charles. "I know he hoped to visit there this week anyway. If it does not get called back to Meryton we will probably check out Upford Hall tomorrow."

"We have our fabric and some chocolate to take back with us. Is there any other shopping we need to do?" I asked.

At Aunt Bennet's request we found a shop that sold ribbons and she picked out several for Kitty, Lydia, Grace and herself. We strolled a did a bit of window shopping, then finally boarded the carriage to return home.

We reached Rosings to find Mr. Sanders and his son Roland just making ready to depart after a visit with the bishop. We exchanged greetings and all our party thanked Mr. Sanders again for dinner, telling him how we enjoyed the evening. Both men seemed solemn and somewhat dispirited, so I did not press them to stay. I had a feeling the younger Mr. Sanders was having to face consequences for the curricle incident. I hoped the bishop would share the gist of their meeting later. I was curious whether the young man came forth on his own or was implicated by someone else.

Richard arrived back soon after. He told us he felt successful in his quest to arrange repairs and hire good workmen. Lydia and Teddy enjoyed the ride and wanted to tell us of the trip to Dilbury. Before they could get started a servant came up to Richard and informed him a messenger from his militia unit arrived when he was out and carried a message for him.

"I will see to the messenger," he said, "and will join you in the library as soon as I can." He headed off to where the messenger awaited and we continued to the library.

"Welcome back, travelers," Uncle Bennet greeted us as we entered the room. "Come join our little party."

The bishop and Mr. Colton sat near Uncle Bennet while Kitty and Grace studied ledgers at the table. As we happily found our favorite seats Uncle Bennet noticed Richard was missing.

"What happened to the Philosopher? You did not lose him, did you Lydia?"

"No, Papa," Lydia said in a teasing tone, "Richard is not lost. A messenger came from the camp and Richard is talking to him now."

"That is good. I would not have wanted to lose our host. The house would seem so lonely without him."

"I am glad you feel that way, Scholar," said Richard, coming in just then. "As it turns out I will not have to leave you. The messenger brought word the problems I thought might call me back had been resolved. Barring anything unforeseen you will not lose me for the rest of this trip."

"We found out something unforeseen," said Aunt Bennet. "Tell him what you learned, Sophia."

"I had not meant to spring it on him right away," I said. "Let us hear what Lydia and Teddy have to say about the trip to Dilbury."

"Oh, no," said Lydia. "Now I am curious. Mama sounds excited by your news."

"I must admit I am curious, too," said Richard. "Do tell us your discovery."

The others prompted me to speak as well, so I told them about the conversation in the chocolate shop. Kitty and Grace were shocked by the news, but Lydia thought it was rather funny.

"So they took the money she paid for the house and then the son also got paid to be the steward and they just carried on as they had been before? Do you know if any other family members were on Lady Catherine's payroll under assumed names?" she asked with a laugh.

"If the rumor is true, then that could be very probable," Uncle Bennet answered. The men were not as surprised by the news. Richard suspected from the first Lady Catherine was probably being cheated. She might even have known she was being cheated, but took the income she got as that much profit.

I am waiting for a response from the solicitor confirming my inheritance of the properties. We will pay a surprise visit to Upford if the property truly is mine. I will have to see the truth of the situation for myself before I can decide how to handle it. The warning is valuable all the same. Was your quest for curtain fabric successful?"

I confirmed it was and Aunt Bennet enthused about her chair fabric before telling the younger ladies she had new ribbons for them. Lydia was torn between seeing the ribbons and telling about their ride.

"The ribbons will wait, Lydia," I said laughingly. "Please tell us about your trip. Or let Teddy tell if you must go claim your ribbons."

"I can tell you all about it," Teddy said before Lydia had made up her mind. "We went to Hunsford and Father talked to a couple different men. He hired a man who works with stone to repair a broken wall at one of the farms and another man to help fix a roof."

"He found two men to help fix the roof," Lydia interrupted.

"That is right," Teddy said, "He did find two men, but one was in charge and the other would take orders from him. Then we got to take a long ride and I saw a fox in the woods."

"It was a good ride," Lydia said. "Old Satan and Sooty wanted to go faster than Tawny did, but I got her to behave and catch up to them. Dilbury was a little bigger than Meryton. It took Richard time to find the woodworker we were looking for."

"He had a big room full of all different kinds of wood. I thought wood was pretty much all the same, but he showed me how some wood is dark and some is light. He said some kinds of wood are soft and easy to carve but wear away quickly, while others are hard to carve but last a long time," Teddy added.

"He told us he was interested in making Mama's chair and he will come here to talk with Larson about the design this afternoon. He heard about Lady Catherine's throne and hopes to see it before we send it away," Lydia put in.

Richard added, "He recommended a few other other fellows who do more in the line of work I need for the tenant farms. Pierce does mainly furniture himself. I was able to hire all the workers I needed for our repairs."

"Then we got to ride back through the woods on a different road," Teddy finished.

"It sounds like you had a successful trip," Uncle Bennet said. "Now, Bishop Parkhurst, please tell us of your interview the Sanders men. Was it about the curricle?"

"As you had already guessed it would be, yes. It seems he did confess to his father after the dinner party and before anyone else came to Mr. Sanders with the story. They spoke with the Black family first to see what they planned to do. Although his son was not the driver, Mr. Sanders felt he had to look at the situation very seriously due to his position as magistrate. After some discussion we decided that Roland Sanders would pay a quarter's salary to my two injured footman, which would be deducted from his allowance. Mr. Sanders and Mr. Black have placed restrictions on both young men. If either man hears of the young men driving recklessly again they will lose all privileges."

"Are you satisfied by the offers?" Richard asked.

"I am. They will learn more from being given a chance to reform, and I think your talk with them had good effect. Both young men mentioned their appreciation for the talk you gave them."

"I am glad they both stepped up and responded as men," Richard said.

A servant knocked on the door and passed a message to Richard when he answered. He took a moment to read it, then smiled.

"It seems a few of us will be visiting Upford Hall tomorrow. This is my response from the solicitor. When evaluating my inheritance they had already determined that all Lady Catherine was entitled to receive at her husband's death were the funds in trust for her settlement and the option to live out her days in the dower house with the household funds paid by the estate. The review determined that her settlement funds had not been touched, so all funds she used for any purpose actually belonged to Rosings. On that basis, they now say any estates she purchased using funds from Rosings are part of the estate and therefore belong to me now."

A cheer went up in the room.

"Now you just need to make all of the estates profitable, Philosopher," said Mr. Bennet when the noise died down.

"That will be the tricky part," answered Richard. "Bingley, will you come with me tomorrow?"

Charles nodded. Lydia volunteered to go as well, but Richard declined because he was not sure if the situation would become dangerous.

"May I join you, Colonel?" asked Mr. Colton, to the surprise of us all.

"You are welcome to, Mr. Colton, but I thought the bishop would need your services. Also, we will be on horseback. I am not sure how comfortable you will be."

"I am planning to return home on Wednesday and would like to spend tomorrow resting," said the bishop. " Colton is free to go with you if he chooses."

"I should be fine on horseback," Mr. Colton added, "although I understand the Rosings horses are bit...slow. Might I borrow your horse, Mr. Bennet?"

At Uncle Bennet's nod Richard said, "We look forward to having your company, then. Will eight be too early to start?"

"Eight o'clock it is. I will join you for breakfast before we leave."

I wished I could go too, just out of curiosity, but if Richard felt it was too dangerous for Lydia he would certainly not take me along either. I would have to continue my work in the house and wait for the men to report back on their return.


	71. Chapter 71

I found it hard to concentrate as I waited for Richard and the others to return from Upford Hall, although I tried to stay focused on my tasks. Keeping busy with the household gave me less opportunity to worry. Richard told me he did not believe there would be danger to the men. He felt adding Lydia and Teddy to the group would be distracting and if the Mortons reacted poorly that would be where problems could arise. I agreed with him, but I still worried.

I spent the morning with Mrs. Napier in the housekeeper's office to go over my expectations for how the house would run between now and the wedding. She had taken her first few days to get the measure of the existing household staff. Her authority covered the female staff and the general running of the house, but she had also reviewed the work of the male members of the inside staff to make sure they were not causing problems in her domain. She would work with Mr. Harrow to correct any issues she found with the men.

"It is an interesting household, Miss," she told me. "Most everyone here had some secret held over them by Lady Catherine or Mrs. Appleton, and often both."

"Was there anything in their pasts we should be worried about? That is, if you know what some of those secrets were."

"Some of them, I do. Whether you should worry...that depends on your attitude, Miss. How you will react is what frightens them right now."

"I cannot tell you my attitude until I know the problem."

"Yes, Miss," she paused and looked at me carefully before continuing. "Several of the girls were ruined while in other employ and three, at least, have children to their shame. If their ruin came out they would have trouble finding employment in any respectable house and all of them have families who depend on their salaries. I think Mrs. Appleton or Lady Catherine chose these girls deliberately because they could demand more of them and pay them less."

I sighed, not really surprised. "I will not condemn them or throw them from the house. I know from my own experience that one cannot always escape unwanted attention when in service. I will assume that was likely the case. I prefer to judge them by their work. Will they give us good service without their secrets being held over their heads?"

Mrs. Napier looked relieved at my response. I think she feared I would let the women all go. Together we went down the list and she gave me her opinion of the work being performed by each. Two might be a problem based on their current behavior and attitude. We agreed to putting them on probation for a month, with full warning of how they must improve by the end of that time if they did not wish to be let go.

"It is the three I know have children that are worried, Miss," she said after we went through the list. "Lady Catherine had the children placed out with families and deducted a part of the girl's pay for the child's care. With the new quarter on us they worry what will happen to their children if the fee is not paid. Myself, I wonder if the fee ever went to the adoptive parents at all."

"Do they know where their children were taken?"

"Alice does. She has even seen her daughter from a distance twice. The other two have an idea where their children were sent, but have not seen them since they were taken."

"Did Mrs. Appleton leave records that might help?"

"I have begun looking through them, but have not found anything conclusive yet. Should I continue the search?"

"Please do. Whether they end up taking on the care of their children or not, they will feel better knowing where they are. If there is a fee truly being paid for the care of the child we can make arrangements to continue the payments from their salaries. Given what you have told me, we will probably be raising our rates of pay for all the staff soon anyway. I have promised fair pay for good work and the current rates are not fair."

"I certainly agree with that, Miss." We moved on to discuss the work I wanted done replacing the curtains in the corridors and setting aside the excess paintings and furniture. We agreed on a system of tagging items I wanted kept and items to be removed. We were interrupted by a footman who announced the arrival of several carts and two men who had come from the Duke of Montrose and Mr. Gardiner. In the colonel's absence they wished to speak with me.

"Please have them taken to the library. I assume Mr. Bennet is already there?"

"Yes, Miss. Mr. Bennet and the young ladies just had tea delivered to them there."

"Mrs. Napier, please send a fresh pot so our guests and I may have some as well."

She went to take care of my request and I headed to the library by the back corridors. I arrived just before the two men were shown in. They were announced as Mr. Wilson, a dealer in artwork, and Mr. Layton, a dealer in fine furnishings. Both had come at Mr. Gardiner's recommendation, although Mr. Layton had an additional task at the request of the Duke of Montrose. He explained after the introductions were complete.

"His Grace has asked me to handle transport of the chair you wish to present to the Prince Regent. Mr. Gardiner recommended me to him for the job at the same time he spoke to me of your desire to sell a number of superfluous furnishings from the household."

"Mr. Gardiner wrote that you would both arrive soon, although we were not sure which day. The colonel will be back later today so you may confer with him before you leave. As you will see when we go through the rooms, superfluous is a good term. You could take more than half the furnishings away and this house would probably still be considered over-decorated by those of good taste. You and your men are, of course, welcome to stay the night if the business runs late."

The man gave a tight smile. "I thank you, Miss York. Your offer is most gracious. My men are efficient, however, and we should be able to prepare a first load for transport today. I have often worked with Mr. Wilson and our teams will help each other."

"Very good," I responded. "How would you like to begin?"

"I should like to see the special chair first, so I can plan around that as we decide which items to remove in this first lot."

"I notice many open spaces on the walls where paintings must have hung," added Mr. Wilson. "I assume you have them stored somewhere. If I might be directed to them I can start evaluating which would sell most quickly and could go in the first lot."

Mrs. Napier entered just then with the tea tray.

"Would you gentlemen care for some tea first? Or do you wish to begin right away?" I asked.

They gave each other an inquiring look. Mr. Wilson spoke. "I think tea would be just the thing. It was a rather dusty ride. Perhaps you would tell me how you chose which paintings to keep up while we have our refreshment?"

They took the seats I offered them and I poured the tea. When I sat with my own cup Teddy stood up from his spot on the rug near Uncle Bennet and sat on a footstool he pulled over next to my chair. I ruffled his hair and then took a sip of my tea.

"I am afraid my method of choosing paintings has not been very scientific, Mr. Wilson," I told him after I had my first few sips. "As you probably realize, the entire walls of the entry and the corridors were covered with paintings. The effect was very dark and too overwhelming for any individual painting to be appreciated. A similar effect could have been achieved by covering the wall with dark brown cloth highlighted with random bits of embroidery in a variety of muted tones." Mr. Wilson gave the slightest of chuckles at my comment.

"My instructions to the footmen tasked with removing the paintings were fairly simple. I had them take down every other painting, always leaving those with brighter or lighter color schemes up on the wall. I was not concerned with the value or even, really, the subject of the painting. I simply wanted more light and color in the entry and corridors. We have not even begun clearing the public rooms yet."

Mr. Wilson smiled, while looking thoughtful at the same time. "So you are not committed to keeping any particular paintings. Would that be a fair assessment?"

"Correct, Mr. Wilson. Colonel Fitzwilliam and I have both agreed we have no sentimental attachment to any painting we have yet seen in the house with the exception of a portrait of his aunt, Lady Anne Darcy, that was taken for her coming out. If you see something on the walls that you know would meet a customer's needs then we can make it part of the lot. We do expect a fair price for the paintings, but Mr. Gardiner assured us you are a man of integrity who will not take advantage of any ignorance we may have over the value of the artwork."

"I will do my best to remain true to his assessment. I did notice several pieces of value in the entryway. If you pulled the paintings at random then there are likely to be several more in those you set aside. Lady Catherine was well known to the art dealers of London. In the early years of her marriage she convinced her husband to purchase several lots of artwork from estates whose owners needed a quick sale to avoid financial ruin. She acquired a good number of potentially valuable pieces in the process."

"She was known to do the same with furnishings," added Mr. Layton. "She then sold what she did not care for through a variety of dealers."

"Lady Catherine seems to have had a penchant for acquiring things through the distress of others," said Uncle Bennet. "It has become a recurring theme in what we have learned of her."

"Mr. Gardiner told us your goal in selling these items is to make a fair price while clearing some of the excess from the house. You are not concerned with a quick sale or an excess of profit?"

"That is true, Mr. Layton," I responded. "We are at no risk of ruin or in immediate need of funds. The estate is simply far too cluttered with items that do not suit the taste of my betrothed or myself. We want to clear things out and make the house a comfortable place to live. The funds we receive from the sale of the goods will go into improvements to the estate and the cost of redecorating."

"No offense was intended, Miss. We just need to know the circumstances so Mr. Wilson and I know how to set the prices and position the goods."

"No offense taken, sir. I understand completely."

"I must admit I am curious to see the special chair. The Duke of Montrose said I must be most careful with it."

"If you have finished your tea we can go to the drawing room. The chair is cleaned and ready to be taken away. We also have to warn you that Lady Catherine had modifications made to the seats of every chair she brought into the house, except those for her personal use, to make them uncomfortable to sit in. Our upholsterer, Larson, can show you exactly what that entailed. He is refitting all the chairs we intend to keep. I will take you to his workroom after you see the throne."

"Throne, Miss?" asked Mr. Wilson.

"Attend us to the drawing room and you will understand." I told him with a laugh. "I can have a footman take you to the rooms we are storing paintings in from there. Uncle Bennet, will you please accompany us?"

"Of course, Sophia," he said. "I am looking forward to seeing their expressions."

"May I come too, Mother?" Teddy asked. "I will be quiet."

"I would be pleased to have you escort me, Teddy." He stood and offered me his hand to help me rise like Richard would have. I took his hand and stood, noting the amused look on the faces of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Layton. I continued to hold Teddy's hand as we led the two dealers to the drawing room, with Uncle Bennet following behind them.

Their response was everything Uncle Bennet had hoped, and very similar to his own response at first viewing the throne. Both men's jaws dropped as they saw the ornate chair glistening in the sunlight. The maids had polished every bit of it, leaving wood and gilt decoration alike gleaming like new. The rich velvet of the cushions had been cleaned and brushed until they had a warm rich red glow as well.

Mr. Layton recovered first. He whistled softly. "Well that is a throne if I ever saw one. His highness will have no reason to scoff at that gift!" He stepped forward to get a closer look.

Mr. Wilson just stood looking at it in silence, although he recovered enough to close his mouth. I could hear Uncle Bennet chuckling to himself. Finally Mr. Wilson gathered his thoughts together.

"Layton and I were having a bit of a laugh on the way over here, thinking it was presumptuous of you to consider making a gift to the Prince Regent. Now that I have seen it I understand. There is really nothing else you _could_ do with such a chair." He shook his head in disbelief.

Mr. Layton was now examining the chair closely. "The box I brought should be big enough. Mr. Gardiner gave me the dimensions you sent him. I brought plenty of packing material and canvas, but I think we will wrap it in muslin and a cushioning layer of wool first to prevent any wear on the gilt. If I take proper care we can get it to London safely, though it would make more sense to take it straight to Brighton. His Grace, the duke, felt it should be presented at the Royal Palace first, so that is what shall be done."

"I should probably move on to the paintings," Mr. Wilson said, still looking somewhat bemused. "Will any of those in here be going?"

"Any you may have a market for," I answered as I went to ring the bell for the footman.

Mr. Wilson started to examine them as he waited. He seemed particularly drawn to a portrait of a seated woman with several pug puppies playing around her feet. He checked the nameplate and the artist's signature and nodded. "This one came from the Holdhurst estate. They have recovered from their financial difficulties since the son married a woman of good dowry and have been looking to repurchase some of the family paintings. They were sold in a lot, but the purchaser's name was marked out on the records."

"And now we know who that purchaser probably was," Uncle Bennet said.

"If you have no objections I will take this one with the first lot and will keep an eye out for any others that are easily recognized. The family provided descriptions of the paintings they most wish to repurchase to most of London's better art dealers. This painting was on the list."

I asked the footman who had responded to call two of the Netherfield footmen to take down the painting and asked him to return and escort Mr. Wilson to our painting store rooms. My instructions were swiftly carried out and Mr. Wilson headed off to see what other treasures he could find.

"I am curious about the modifications you mentioned, Miss York. May we speak with your upholsterer before we view the furnishings you wish removed?" Mr. Layton asked.

"That would be best. I think you need to know before you consider reselling any of the chairs." We headed to Larson's work room.

If the throne had left him amazed, the chair modifications left him highly indignant.

"What kind of person would do such a thing to perfectly good chairs?" he asked in disgust on being shown the interior of the cushion Larson was working on at the time.

"The kind of person who spent her time sitting in a throne knowing her guests were made uncomfortable by the seating," answered Uncle Bennet.

"Anything you may have heard of Lady Catherine's personality probably falls short of the reality," I told him. "We have learned so many things in just the week we have been here that boggle the mind. I am truly glad never to have made her acquaintance."

He examined the chair Larson had most recently refitted. "You seem to have a good man on the job here. This is top notch work." He nodded at Larson. "I will be happy to take you on if you ever need a new position."

"Thank you, sir," said Larson. "I have much to do for now, but I will keep your offer in mind."

Mr. Layton nodded again. "So how did you discover these modifications?"

"The stuffing of the settee in the drawing room had worn rather thin and I noticed the irregular bumps. Suspicious as to the cause, I tore apart a seat that had a worn covering and found those little bars in it. After that I questioned the servants. They had found the same in some dining room chairs that had been destroyed recently. We also spoke with the brother of the man, now deceased, who did the modifications. He told us his brother had hated to ruin such fine furniture, but Lady Catherine had insisted and would have destroyed his chances of other work in the area if had not agreed."

" _Every chair_?"

"As far as we can tell she had this done to every chair except those she normally used, with the exception of the armchairs in the library and study, for some reason. Of course the servants' chairs were exempt. Most of them have plain wood seats without cushioning."

"Well, many customers do have chairs recovered to match their houses when they purchase. We can make adjustments at that time, although it will affect their opinions if they try the seats first. Fortunately many of our customers go by looks alone when purchasing, although they would probably complain after the fact if they ended up with chairs this uncomfortable. Shall we look at the items you wish to sell?"

"We can start with the public rooms, although I will also be redoing most of the family rooms and guest rooms over time. It might be easiest as we enter each room if I tell you which items I prefer to keep. There are far fewer of those." I smiled and our little group began the tour.

Uncle Bennet and Mr. Layton soon developed a pattern of joking conversation about the items in each room. Mr. Layton had called in one of his men to act as a scribe and catalog the items he would be taking on this first trip. They had brightly colored strips of fabric they pinned or tied to the pieces as the scribe took down the description of the item for the records. Teddy walked along with me as we toured each room. He stayed out of the conversation as he had promised, but he did seem curious about the whole process. I tried to anticipate some of the questions he might have and asked them myself. His smiles told me I usually guessed correctly. Our trip took a couple hours, but Mr. Layton seemed very satisfied when we returned to the library where Lydia, Kitty and Grace were still occupied going over estate ledgers for suspicious items.

"I think we have a good selection picked out, Miss York. It should sell quickly and I can come back for the second batch we marked. I will see to packing the throne, then get my men started boxing up the rest of our choices for today. May I borrow a writing desk for my clerk so he can make a copy of the manifest of items we are taking?"

"Of course," I turned to the man. "Would you be more comfortable in one of the other rooms or is the desk here to your taste?"

"I would not wish to intrude on your family party, Miss. I saw a desk in the next room over that would work if it is all the same to you."

"That is fine. Please take one of these chairs to sit on. The seat at that desk has not been repaired yet."

He did as I suggested and both men left to take care of their tasks. I felt Richard would be pleased with the progress when he returned. I knew he would be delighted to see the back of Lady Catherine's throne, or at least the box it left in. Now I just had to wait for him to return.


	72. Chapter 72

Aunt Bennet, Jane and the Bishop joined us in the library before Mr. Layton and Mr. Wilson were finished with their work. Mr. Wilson was shown back in by the footman just as we were finishing afternoon tea.

"I have found more than half the items the Holdhurst family is looking to repurchase," he told us after introductions to the three members of our party he had not met before.

"That is excellent news," I told him. "If you will send us the descriptions of the remaining items I will have my staff be on the lookout for them as they continue the cleaning efforts. We will set them aside for you to take on the next trip."

"I would appreciate that. It is always helpful to have a buyer waiting for the article."

"Sophia!" said Lydia loudly. "I just saw Richard and the others ride up the drive!"

"Thank you, Lydia," I said, truly glad at the news, but I could not resist adding, "A little more quietly would be best next time."

"Yes, Sophia," she said with a grin.

I excused myself and headed out to the entry with Teddy at my side, both of us eager to greet Richard when he came in.

"Am I ever glad to be back!" he said as he came in and saw us waiting. He stepped forward and ruffled Teddy's hair, then pulled me into his arms for a quick kiss, completely ignoring the presence of Charles and Mr. Colton, who entered behind him.

"That is better," he said as he stepped back a pace.

"Better for you," said Charles, laughing. "I must find my own wife for such a greeting."

"And I have neither wife, nor betrothed to greet," said Mr. Colton, joining in the laugh. All three seemed to be in a good mood, which I hoped meant their business went well.

"Jane is in the library, Charles. And I know she has been worried about you," I told them. Charles immediately headed that way, while Mr. Colton excused himself to go to his room.

"Are Mr. Gardiner's contacts from London there as well? I saw the carts outside." Richard asked as they left.

"Mr. Wilson, the art dealer is in the library. Mr. Layton, the furniture dealer is just seeing to the packing and loading of the last few items he will be taking today. The first item he packed away was the throne," I told him with a grin.

"And good riddance to it!" Richard answered. He wrapped one arm around Teddy's shoulder and offered me the other.

"Are you coming to the library right away? I thought you might need to dust off or refresh yourself first."

"Am I still that dusty?" he asked, looking down at his clothes. "We gave each other a good brushing with a whisk broom just outside the door."

"Not so bad," I answered with a smile before going up on tiptoe to quickly kiss his cheek. "Welcome home, Richard."

"For the first time in my life it truly feels like home, because you both were here waiting for me."

"Grace is waiting too," Teddy piped up.

"I had not forgotten Grace, but perhaps she forgot me in all her work on the ledgers."

Teddy laughed. "You know she has not forgotten you, Father. She is just working very hard with Kitty and Lydia."

"I know, son. I was teasing."

Together we made our way to the library with a bit more teasing banter back and forth.

Charles was sitting next to Jane, holding her hand and smiling. Uncle Bennet had clearly been teasing him over something, probably an enthusiastic greeting of his wife. Mr. Wilson seemed a bit bemused.

"Welcome back, Philosopher!" Uncle Bennet greeted Richard. "Come meet our art expert and hear his good news."

I introduced Richard and Mr. Wilson. From an inside pocket of his coat Mr. Wilson produced a letter for Richard.

"Miss York was kind enough to greet us and make arrangements for me to choose a number of paintings to take back to London for sale, based on previous word you had received from Mr. Gardiner. This letter of introduction was addressed to you, sir, so I have been holding it until your arrival."

I took my favorite seat and Teddy sat on the stool next to me. Richard stood as he broke the seal and quickly read the letter.

"It is a pleasure to have you here, Mr. Wilson. Gardiner speaks highly of your integrity and ability to evaluate works of art. Have you found much of interest?"

"Yes, sir. I have found and packed up over half of a collection the Holdhurst family has been trying to find and repurchase for several months now. You will receive a good price for them. I have also come across several other paintings that should sell well in the current market. I have a manifest written out for you with descriptions of all the items I will be removing. My usual process is to send monthly reports of all items sold in that time along with a lump sum for the payments received. I take a commission on the sales as set out in the documents I will provide for you. Mr. Gardiner assured me you were aware of my terms and had agreed to them."

"I did receive his notice and am satisfied with your terms. I hope we will both find this a profitable enterprise."

"As do I. My colleague, Mr. Layton, is just finishing up with his work. I will go oversee the completion of the packing so he can return to make his arrangements with you."

Mr. Wilson took his leave of us all and went out to arrange matters with his colleague. Uncle Bennet tried to get Richard or Charles to tell of their visit, but Richard asked to wait until after they had spoken with Mr. Layton. "We do not want to just get started and then be interrupted," he said with a grin. I was certain now he had a good story for us. Charles was grinning as well.

Mr. Layton came in soon thereafter. He also produced a letter of recommendation and a note from the Duke of Montrose. He handed Richard the copy of the manifest his clerk had prepared and let him know he expected the items he had chosen to sell very quickly, at which point he would return for more. After a little more discussion Mr. Layton also took his leave. Mr. Colton passed by him on his way to join us in the library.

As Mr. Colton settled into a seat Uncle Bennet impatiently said, "Out with it, Philosopher! We want to hear the tale!" Everyone laughed at his vehemence.

"Oh very well," said Richard, dragging out each word. "I suppose we can tell you." He took a seat next to me.

"You already know we left in good time this morning. The weather was fine and we had a very pleasant ride. Thank you for loaning Colton your horse, Bennet. A Rosings horse could never have kept up with Old Satan, even at his _easy_ canter."

"It was certainly no bother to me," said Uncle Bennet, "now stop delaying and get on with your story."

Richard smirked, "We rode off through the lovely countryside, enjoying the beauty of the morning, the song of the birds and the fresh air."

"You are full of hot air," grumbled Uncle Bennet. "If you cannot get to the point have Bingley tell it."

At that Richard laughed. "Ah well then, we made our way to the little village of Upford, near the Hall. It was early still, but we found a few people about and asked directions to Upford Hall, hoping to prompt some talk. A helpful young lad asked if we were come to visit the Morton family and I told him that was our intent. He gave us very good directions and wished us a pleasant visit."

Charles laughed. "The colonel gave the boy a coin for his help after getting confirmation the Mortons have been living there all along. You should have seen the lad leap for joy."

"It was good to get something more solid than just rumors," Richard said, nodding. "I was pleased to see the house and lands were in good shape. The three of us took the meandering way to the house, getting a look at the fields and some of the tenant houses. Then we presented ourselves at the front door and I asked for Mr. Walter, the steward."

"Not Morton, hmm?" asked Uncle Bennet.

"Not at first," Richard said with a chuckle. "We were shown in and found the inside of the house in as good condition as the outside, although decorated in a far more restrained manner than this house. In fact, there was very little decoration at all. I had to wonder if they sold the decoration before they sold the house and lands or if Lady Catherine just had everything of value transferred here after the purchase. I forgot to ask when I had the chance."

"What did you ask?" Lydia broke in.

"Let me get to that in my own way, Lydia," he laughed. "Unless you would like to tell the story yourself..."

"That is silly, Father," said Teddy. "She does not know what happened."

"My point _exactly_ , son," said Richard with a wink at Teddy and me.

Lydia bounced in her seat a bit and huffed, "I will never know what happened if you do not tell us."

"Please tell us, Richard," Grace asked sweetly. "Lydia will be quiet."

Richard bowed his head in her direction. "For you, little sister, I will continue." Everyone laughed. We knew nothing could really stop him from continuing. He was just enjoying the teasing.

"The footman who answered the door showed us to the study and his announcement served as our introduction. Mr. Walter turned out to be a pleasant looking man in his thirties. He greeted us warmly and clearly knew my name.

* * *

 _"I suppose you have come to look at the property,"he said to me, not appearing surprised at our arrival._

 _"That is my purpose. I only recently discovered the deeds to the estate and have received confirmation it comes to me as part of my recent inheritance."_

 _"I have your quarterly statement here," he said, picking up a folded document from the side of the desk. "And the rents are in the strongbox, ready to be sent. Lady Catherine always preferred I send the first quarter accounting at least two weeks after Easter. She did not wish the messenger to arrive when Mr. Darcy was visiting and he had usually left by that time. I heard you were in residence and planned to send them with my messenger some time this week."_

 _"And how accurate is the statement, Mr. Morton?" I asked with a lift of the eyebrow. He looked rather embarrassed._

 _"Hmm, so you know about that. I would estimate the statement at about sixty per cent accurate," he told me sheepishly._

 _"My betrothed took a little shopping trip to Ravencroft. While there she overheard a couple local gossips discussing how the Morton family never moved out after they sold the house and how the son took a job as the steward under an assumed name and was now hoping the new owner would not find out about the property since Lady Catherine had kept the sale so quiet."_

 _"That last part is not quite true," he told us. "I had the statement prepared and as I said I planned to deliver it this week. As for the rest...how much do you know about our family situation?"_

 _"I know you have an older brother like mine – wild, foolish, inclined to losing bets and now living in Canada," I answered._

 _This is what he told us. "Henry definitely had a talent for losing and no sense at all for when to stop. My father was middle-aged when Henry was born and was feeling his age by the time Henry became an adult. He trusted my brother a bit too far with the management of the estate and before he knew it we were on the edge of ruin. Fortunately it was not entailed, so my father offered the whole estate for sale. Somehow Lady Catherine found out before it was offered on auction. She offered a poor price for the whole estate, but it was better than we might have gotten if it were parceled up and sold bit by bit. I was at University when all this happened, just finishing up. I had graduated by the time the sale went through and, dropping Morton from my name, I offered myself as steward at a lower rate of pay then her agent was likely to find anywhere else. My parents did leave for a time. They paid off Henry's debts and shipped him off to the Canadas. As steward I was allowed to live here with my family, so my parents quietly moved back in. I later married and my wife and son are here as well."_

 _"How did you keep Lady Catherine from finding out?" I asked him._

 _"She never came here herself and her agent was not the brightest of men. I believe he was her former parson, a Mr. Oscott. No one on the estate wanted to betray us and my parents have stayed close to the house, never entertaining nor going out much. They simply stayed out of the way on the occasions Mr. Oscott came by and that was that."_

 _"Why did no one on the estate wish to betray you?" I asked him. "I imagine they could have gotten some kind of reward from my aunt. She was one for buying and selling secrets."_

 _He answered, "That all goes back to that statement I was sending you. You see, I took on the job as steward because I love this estate, not as a way to cheat your aunt. I had spent my time at University learning every way I could to revive a failing estate. My brother had no interest in running the place and I had hoped I could convince him to let me take over estate matters and make him an allowance with which to play his stupid games. I finished my studies too late for that, but I could improve the estate and the lives of the people who depended on it. The first two years we were working hard to recover from the damage my brother had done. I reported the numbers and rents faithfully each quarter but when I tried to convince Lady Catherine to put money into improvements on the estate she flatly refused. She told me to raise the rents and gave me a target to hit for the profits and wanted to hear no more about improvements. Each time I asked made the situation worse for the tenants, so I decided to go around her. I kept one set of books that met her goals and another that accurately reflected the improvements we were already beginning to make. Any profits beyond her set amount were put back into the estate to do the things she would not authorize spending on. As the situation improved further and we recovered all my brother had lost, part of the fund helped eased the burden of the tenants when Lady Catherine demanded we raise the rents again. I kept none of it myself, sir, and I supported my parents and wife out of the salary I received. I have the books here and you may examine them as you will. I will understand if you wish to replace me. I simply ask that you do not punish the tenants for my misdeeds."_

* * *

"Interesting," said Bishop Parkhust as Richard paused for a moment. "So Lady Catherine was using Mr. Oscott as an agent. That was hardly part of his job as parson. I wonder if she was using Collins in the same way?"

"I asked," Richard said. "Mr. Collins never visited Upford Hall. He was far stupider than Mr. Oscott anyway. I doubt Lady Catherine would have trusted him as an agent."

"How did you react to Mr. Morton's story?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"I asked to see the books. He pulled them out and we went over them, quarter by quarter starting with the sale to Lady Catherine. Bingley, Colton and I asked questions to which he gave very clear responses. Mr. James Walter Morton is a very smart man and he knows how to run an estate. He had _every_ penny accounted for. He even showed me his bank book and personal account book. It was clear if Lady Catherine had been willing to make the investments he requested, the estate would have already paid for itself in profits for her. After going over the books he took us on a tour of the house and lands. The house has minimal staff and it is clear his parents are not playing lord and lady of the manor. His father is quite elderly and has trouble moving around. His mother cares for his father and keeps herself occupied at home. The wife, who has been going by "Mrs. Walter" is a pleasant woman and his boy is about Teddy's age. We met several of the tenants. They seem pleased with their situation, although once I was introduced they looked a bit nervous about the future."

"What is their future?" asked the bishop.

"I plan to leave "Mr. Walter" in charge. I would be a fool to dismiss the man who can take an estate that was as badly off as his brother had left it and turn it around the way he has. Of course, he will be sending me the _actual_ statements from here on out and I will be reviewing them closely and making the occasional surprise check on him. I may be raising his salary, especially if he is willing to come help me work on Rosings or some of the other estates that are probably not as well off as Upford."

"Can you trust him after the way he fooled Lady Catherine?" asked Aunt Bennet.

"I might not have if he had been less forthcoming. As it was, his account books told the story even better than he had. I was glad Colton was along. He was better than Bingley and me at reading the story in the accounts and he asked the best questions there."

"The colonel is correct when he says the account books told the story," Mr. Colton added. "When we compared the accounts sent to Lady Catherine to the actual accounts it was clear exactly how he was preparing them. He truly did have every penny accounted for. He loves that estate. I would be inclined to trust him with it as well."

"He was pleased when I told him I was keeping him on," Richard told us. "I am thinking we may have to come up with a way he can buy back the estate over time, perhaps to pass on to his son. It will require some consideration. If I had actually cared about Matlock I could see doing something similar to save it. Which reminds me I will need to reimburse Will for paying off the servants at Matlock and installing a caretaker for the estate. We will have to find a way for me to look after it quietly without giving rise to expectations that I will pay my brother's gambling debts."

"That is a tricky road to walk," said the bishop. "I wish you good fortune on it."

We returned to discussing the Upford Hall visit. Teddy wanted to know if he would meet Mr. Walter's son and Richard promised he would.

"You will accompany me on my next visit," he said, "and I will ask Mr. Walter to bring his son with him if he comes to help at Rosings."

Teddy was pleased at the thought of possibly meeting a new friend in the neighborhood. The rest of us returned to the subject of the visit until dinner was announced.


	73. Chapter 73

After dinner Richard and Charles decided they would ride to Hazeldell House the following day. They had little hope the situation there would be as simple as at Upford Hall, but Richard wanted time to make any necessary corrections to the second local estate while we were still visiting Rosings. They planned to leave at first light, so they said their farewells to Bishop Parkhurst and Mr. Colton before retiring.

The bishop planned to leave a little later in the morning. He was still feeling more bruised and creaky than the Mr. Colton. As he had told Mr. Black and Mr. Sanders, Bishop Parkhurst had purchased one of Lady Catherine's carriages from Richard to replace the wrecked one. His horses were fine and he would use them with the new carriage. The driver and the footman with the broken arm would stay at Rosings for another week or two in order to recover more before moving. Whether it took a month or a quarter, the bishop wanted his men to be healthy first.

One of our temporary men from Hertfordshire had experience as a coachman and he took employment as a driver for the bishop until the other man was healed enough to resume his duties. We were all amazed at the versatility and varied skills of the people Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls had sent to us. It was not just Mr. Larson. So far for any task we needed done, there was someone in that group with the necessary skills. They seemed to integrate well with the Rosings staff, although a part of that was the announcement we had made explaining most of them would be temporary.

Jane and I were both up before dawn to share breakfast with Richard and Charles before they headed out. Richard had the list of suspicious ledger entries Uncle Bennet had prepared for him, along with directions on how to find the estate. They had spoken with the stablemen regarding the best roads to take, although it was the bishop's original coachman who had given the best information. Lady Catherine had rarely traveled except to London, and that only a few times a year.

After breakfast Jane and I went out to see the men off. The grooms brought the horses round. After giving me a goodbye kiss, Richard swung himself into the saddle. I patted Old Satan's neck.

"You look after him, boy," I told the horse. "Be sure you bring him back safely."

Old Satan nodded his head and stamped his feet.

"We should be back this evening, Sophia. Please make sure a groom goes with you when you take the phaeton out and try not to let Lydia challenge you to a race." We both laughed, then he Charles headed off.

"It is not like they are riding into battle, Sophia," Jane told me as we walked back inside the house. "They should be safe."

"I know. It is just the unknown that bothers me. I worry about problems on the road and problems with the steward at Hazeldell. I wish we were going with them."

"Well the carriage would only slow them down, and neither of us is up to riding a horse like Old Satan," Jane laughed softly. "Do you plan to take the phaeton out today?"

"Your mother requested a short ride in it. Teddy will probably ride alongside us and then join Lydia on a faster ride with a groom to attend them or perhaps they can convince your father to go out with them. I would really prefer they have an adult family member along."

"If Papa will not go, I will go along with them. I checked with the stable yesterday and there is another horse broken to sidesaddle and another saddle as well. Perhaps I will go even if Papa joins them."

"That would be very helpful, Jane. It has been far too many years since I rode a horse and I was never very good at it. I preferred to drive."

"I expect Richard will want to teach you and Grace both at some point."

"I will be happy to learn from him, especially if I start out on a Rosings mare. I think Lydia will be ready for something a bit more spirited soon. She is certainly excited about the Thornapple estate and the horses there."

"If Charles and Richard were going to Thornapple today I think she would have snuck out and followed along behind them even if it meant getting up this early," Jane said. "In fact, it is still early enough that I may go lie down for a little longer."

"I will see you later, then. I am still planning out the new drawing room and I need to identify the next batch of chairs for Larson to restore."

We parted parted ways at the base of the stairs. The room I had decided on for the new drawing room had a strong advantage over the old one in the nearly full length windows that faced one of the nicest areas of the garden. The windows faced southwest, although skewed more towards the western side. We would get moderate light in the morning, but by the afternoon the room would be pleasantly bright. Some of the windows even had panels that could be opened to let in a breeze. I knew I wanted my embroidered green fabric for the curtains in the room. In fact, I planned to send an order to the draper later in the day after I had measurements taken to know how much I would need.

I liked the look of a sofa that was already in the room, along with a few chairs in a matching style. They would probably need to be recovered. I thought about what I wanted and realized the heavy curtains in my room were exactly the color I was after. If they were in good enough condition Larson could probably use them. I made a mental note to speak with him later and went back to my planning.

By the time most of the family came down for breakfast I had a plan for the room. I knew which items I wanted removed and how I wanted the remaining ones arranged. There was a good corner for the pianoforte on an inside wall where it would not be subject to extremes of heat or cold and would be protected from all but the latest of the afternoon sunlight.

I joined the family in the breakfast room and had another bite to eat as I kept them company. Knowing how tired Aunt Bennet became by the afternoon I suggested we take our drive after breakfast while the day was still fresh.

"Oh, that would be lovely, dear," she replied. "Everything sounded so pretty the way you and the girls described it the other day. I will enjoy seeing it for myself."

"Teddy and I get to come along, right?" Lydia asked.

"Oh, I think you might be bored. We will not be outrunning ducklings, you know."

"You are not _that_ slow, and even if you were we want to go."

"Well I did wonder if we might persuade Uncle Bennet to join us, then after the gentle drive the three of you could go on a little faster ride together. Jane said she might even be willing to go along."

"Oh, please, Papa, please. Say you will!" Lydia begged him.

He turned and winked at me, then answered, "I am not so sure my poor horse can keep up with you wild young things."

"Tawny is not really that fast, Papa. Your Pericles could outrun her easily. Please say you will come?"

"I would enjoy having you ride along with us," Aunt Bennet added.

"Well, for you, my dear, I think I can see my way clear to it."

After Lydia rushed her parents through the rest of their breakfast we went up to dress appropriately and I collected Teddy from Mrs. Phipps in the nursery. He was excited at the thought of a ride, even if it was just alongside the phaeton. He cheered when he heard Uncle Bennet would go so he and Lydia could take a longer and faster ride after Aunt Bennet and I went in.

The grooms saddled a horse called Buttercup for Jane. Like Lydia's Tawny, Buttercup was a gentle mare. She gleamed pale gold in the morning sunlight, a fitting accompaniment for Jane's beauty. Aunt Bennet was well-wrapped against chance breezes and settled herself carefully on the bench after being assisted up by two strong grooms. She squealed a little and grabbed at the side of the bench as the ponies started forward, but she quickly relaxed as we remained at a good slow pace.

Lydia and Teddy took their places ahead of us, joined by Jane. Uncle Bennet walked his horse alongside the phaeton.

"Do you think we shall make the end of the drive before dark?" he asked teasingly.

"Now you know why they wanted you along for a ride after the drive," I told him.

"See if you can get a little more speed out of those ponies. My horse will be walking backwards to stay with you before long."

I convinced the ponies to move into a trot, which Aunt Bennet declared was as fast as she wished to go. We drove down the flower edged lanes with our little escort party, looking around at the fields and the houses. This time the waves of the tenants were a little more friendly. Uncle Bennet stopped briefly to look at the work being done on the roof of one house, but caught back up to us easily enough. We rounded the park, waving at Mr. Greene in his garden as we drove by. As we neared the house the four riders headed off while Aunt Bennet and I went back to the stable.

"That was just lovely, Sophia," she said happily as we pulled up to a stop. "Thank you for taking me out."

"I am happy to do so, Aunt Bennet. I enjoyed your company on the drive."

After we went in and she settled into the library with her embroidery I went upstairs to my room to look at the curtains. I checked a few of the unoccupied guest rooms and found three more with the same curtain fabric. I had a footman come take down the curtains from one of the unoccupied rooms and carry the fabric down to Larson's workroom. I explained to him what I had in mind and he came to take a look at the sofa and chairs. After examining the curtain fabric for wear he declared it would probably work quite well once washed. I instructed my footman to remove the curtains Larson would need and take them to the laundry to be washed on the next laundry day. I called a few more footmen in to remove all the furniture I no longer wanted in the room and put it in the store rooms for Mr. Layton to look at on his next trip. I also showed them where I wanted the pianoforte placed and asked them to be extra careful when moving it as I did not want it damaged. I was not terribly worried. They were Netherfield footmen and they knew they would have to answer to Mrs. Nicholls if they did poor work.

I passed the remainder of the day working around the house or enjoying the company of the family in the library. I watched my little team of seamstresses measuring and cutting the fabric for the curtains in the corridors. I even went out and played a short game of ball with Teddy and Grace on the lawn. By late afternoon I realized I had been keeping myself as busy as I could so as not to worry about Richard.

They had not returned by the time dinner was served. We gathered in the library after dinner and tried to distract each other while Lydia watched out the window, hoping to be the first to see them again. It was full dark before we heard the sound of booted feet outside the library door.

Charles entered first and Jane threw herself into his arms. I followed her example with Richard before he even made it through the door. I held him tightly and he did the same with me. We finally released each other to Uncle Bennet's teasing words. "Enough, Philosopher! We need to hear what happened and I expect you both need to sit down and have a bite to eat."

With a quick kiss to my forehead Richard released me and stepped back a pace. He looked worn out. I led him to his favorite seat, then rang the bell to have trays brought with dinner for the two men. I went to my seat next to Richard and took his hand. He winced a bit as I did, causing me to look at the hand I held. He tried to pull his hand back but I held tight and saw the bruises on his knuckles and a few small scrapes on the back of the hand.

"Have you been in a fight, Richard?" I asked with concern. Jane quickly looked at Charles' hands and found them in much the same state.

"You as well, Charles?" she asked. He just smiled at her.

"Let me have a bit to eat, Sophia, then Bingley and I will tell you the tale of our day." Richard said wearily.

The food arrived quickly and both men tore into it as if they had not eaten anything since breakfast. They might not have, I realized. We all stayed silent and waited for them. As their plates neared empty Uncle Bennet got up and poured two glasses of port, handing one to each man.

"Thank you, Bennet," said Richard, finally moving his tray aside. "I can use this. It has been a very long day."

Charles appeared equally grateful for the drink. He also pushed his tray aside and sat back in the chair to slowly sip at the port. We waited.

"We had a beautiful ride this morning," Richard began after a few more sips. "The horses were feeling frisky, so we just let them go at their own pace. The instructions we had were good and we made excellent time. We reached the village of Butterfield sooner than we expected and almost passed it by. If Bingley hadn't seen the sign for the Ring and Rose public house we might have gone too far. We had to turn off the main road onto a smaller one just past Butterfield. The turn would have been easy to miss if we had not been prepared to look for it."

"We almost missed it as it was," Charles said with a chuckle. It was hidden behind a turn and a tree."

"We found it all the same and took the side road up a hill and through some woods until we found the drive for Hazeldell House. It was quite the contrast from yesterday's visit to Upford Hall. Neglect was the order of the day at Hazeldell."

"We knew it was the right place because a stone with the name carved on it sat by the entrance to the drive. There was a gate, but it hung open and half off its hinges," said Charles.

"If that were only the worst of it," said Richard with a sigh. He took another sip of the port before continuing.

"We rode in, and looked around a bit as we went. It was a depressing sight. The fields on the home farm sat untilled, still covered with weedy stubble from last year's harvest. The tenant fields looked only marginally better. We rode up to the main house and as we went it felt like the day became overcast and cold, although really it was still sunny and bright. The house looked like it belonged in one of those novels with sensational names Georgiana sometimes reads, with windows like empty eyes, peeling paint on the doors and casements and cold wind moaning around the walls."

"Are you sure it is Georgiana who reads those novels, Philosopher?" Uncle Bennet asked with a chuckle.

"I may have read one or two, just to be sure they will not harm her sensibilities," Richard retorted with a look that reminded me of when Lydia used to stick her tongue out at us.

"I assure you it was quite as bad as he says," Charles said emphatically.

"I believe you," said Uncle Bennet, "But I could not resist a tease."

"We knocked at the door," Richard continued a little loudly at first, "waited a bit, then knocked again. It was finally opened by a woman so withered and worn she would make Mrs. Phipps look Teddy's age by comparison. I asked for Mr. Carter, the steward. She said he was not there and started to close the door in our faces. I held it open and asked where he was. She looked me up and down and finally answered that he had gathered in the quarterly rent and said he was taking the rent to the new owner. She told us he took the rest of his belongings as well, so he was probably just gone. When I told her I _was_ the new owner she was less than thrilled."

"She almost spit in his face," Charles said, shaking his head. "Then she told him that the tenants had paid their rents and it was not their fault that brute Carter and his nasty sons had not passed the money on."

"I agreed with her on that point, but it did not endear me to her in the least. I asked to come in and see the house. Her only response was to say there was little she could do to stop me. I eventually learned her name was Mrs. Miggens and she was the housekeeper. There was no one else in the house, although I learned her grandson was a tenant."

"She must have had some way of getting word to him," Charles told us, "Because he showed up while we were looking around the place."

"I told him I had just learned of the inheritance and that I would not hold the tenants responsible for the theft of the rents by Mr. Carter. 'Damn well better not' was all the response I got to that. I tried to get information on the state of the tenant houses and farms from him with little success. I told him I wanted to get the property back in shape and make any necessary repairs and he looked at me like I had grown a second head."

"A really ugly one at that," added Charles.

"After a time I gave up trying to talk to him and we left the house. Bingley and I rode around the property. Every tenant I tried to talk with was about as friendly as the old woman's grandson. I was wishing I had my militia unit at my back by the time we were ready to leave there. Dealing with those families will be a chore. Apparently Carter was a bully and his two sons were bigger and meaner than he was. They followed Aunt Catherine's orders and skinned the tenants for everything they could get, then probably pocketed what they could before they sent the required amount on to her." He sighed.

"They are expecting another bully of a steward and more demands," Charles said. "Nothing either of us said made any difference."

"Once I had a good idea what we were looking at I felt it was time to leave. We stayed longer than I had expected to anyway. On the way out of the area we made the poor decision to stop at the Ring and Rose for a bite to eat. Apparently the tenants have friends and family in Butterfield and had already passed on the word of who we were. I have not faced such hostility since my last battle in France as we met with when we entered the Ring and Rose. I stopped short and Bingley ran right into me. We had not said a word before some of the locals came at us, fists flying. We managed to back out of the building before they could cut us off, but it was an all out brawl. Fortunately I had not tied up Old Satan. I just hung his reins across a post like I did the day we came to Kent. He must have been listening when you told him to watch out for me, Sophia. He ran up next to me and started shoving men aside, nipping at any who were foolish enough to oppose him."

"He distracted them enough that I could get to my horse and untie him," Charles cut in. "I jumped on his back and rode him into the fray."

"That gave me the chance to jump on Old Satan. We did not hang around after that. When I come back I will be fully prepared for the locals. We had a long ride after that and got a little confused with some of the turns coming back. That was what made us so late. We finally found Ravencroft by accident and were able to make our way back from there."

"I was happy to get here. We told the grooms to treat our horses extra well tonight," Charles added.

"Do you know what you plan to do at Hazeldell?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"I have some ideas," Richard answered, "but I am too tired to think them through tonight. I would like to retire now and revisit the situation tomorrow when I feel more fresh."

"I think are all ready to retire," I said, rising. This time I offered Richard my hand in assistance. He took it and stood.

"Walk me upstairs?" he asked quietly.

"I will be beside you all the way." And I was until we reached the point at the top of the stairs where he needed to head to one wing while I went to the other. He gave me a quick kiss and we wished each other pleasant dreams before heading to our separate rooms. I was glad he had made it back safely. Tomorrow would be time for making plans.


	74. Chapter 74

As the family gathered in the breakfast room the next morning, Jane pulled me aside for a moment. "Charles has bruises all over his torso and arms. He even has some on his legs where he was kicked. Richard is probably in a similar state. I just wanted you to know so you can be careful."

"Thank you, Jane. I appreciate the warning." I gave her a smile before we went to fix plates and take our seats for breakfast.

Richard came in a little late, but finished eating about the same time I did. He asked me to join him for a walk in the garden. As the morning was a bit chillier than the past few days had been, I told him I would meet him at the door and went up to get a shawl. It took me only a few minutes to return and we stepped outside together. When he offered me his arm, I hesitated.

"I am not hurt," he said with a chuckle while he took my hand and wrapped it around his left arm. We started walking as we talked. "Jane told you about Bingley, I suppose?"

"Yes, she said he was pretty badly bruised."

"That is Bingley for you. Brave as a lion, but hopeless in a fight. I was surprised he got enough punches in to bruise his knuckles. He tends to just block with his body. At least he has learned to protect his head. That is how he and Will met, you know, in a fight."

"I had no idea. What happened?"

"It was Bingley's first year at University. Will was two years ahead of him. One evening on campus Will ran afoul of a small group of drunks who were determined to pick a fight. Wickham was off to the side, egging them on, of course. He probably set the whole thing up. At any rate, Will was outnumbered and likely to come out of it pretty badly. Bingley was walking by and noticed what was happening. He did not like the odds for Will, even though he did not know him them. Despite knowing nothing about fighting Bingley waded into the fray, pushing and bumping Will's attackers while calling out for assistance."

"Was anyone else around?" I asked.

"They were in a pretty public part of the campus, on a walkway between some of the buildings. Help came, but not before one of the drunks got in a punch to Bingley's face that knocked him out cold. Will thought he was dead at first. He had no idea who Bingley was, but did not feel right just leaving him unconscious in the walkway. He got some help to carry Bingley up to his room and then called the apothecary to tend to them both. They eventually brought Bingley around, but he was dizzy, nauseous and dazed for several days."

"That is a high price for helping a stranger. Knowing Mr. Darcy, he kept Charles with him," I ventured.

"True enough. While Will nursed his own bruises he tended to his new friend. By the time the apothecary said Bingley was fit to return to his own rooms the friendship was unbreakable. I have teased Will a great deal about their friendship over the years. Bingley can be such a puppy. He is often oblivious and has relied on Will for advice and direction in life. He let his sisters run all over him and there are times he is just not very bright. At the same time I have always recognized his loyalty and good nature, even though I usually do not say it out loud. A more brave and true friend you could not hope to have, although there are plenty of men I would rather have at my back in a fight just because they are more effective fighters." We both fell to laughing at that.

"Jane is a good match for him," I said after a bit. "She has the same bright outlook on people and is very kind, but she knows how to run a household well and tend to people. She has more backbone than people give her credit for. Between his courage and her kindness and inner strength they should do well."

"And they always have Will and Elizabeth to fall back on for advice if they need it," Richard added with a nod.

"So how did _you_ hurt your knuckles?" I asked.

He looked at me with an embarrassed grin. "Unlike Bingley I _use_ my fists. Normally I can get away without bruises, but one of those men was a bit more solid than I expected. I got in a good punch to his jaw, but got the scrapes and bruises from the impact with his teeth. He has a few less than he did before."

I shook my head with a mock frown, then asked, "What do you intend to do about Hazeldell?"

"I have been thinking about that and wanted to talk to you before the discussion with the rest of the family. I appreciate their help and advice, but in the end your opinion is what matters most to me."

I leaned against him slightly and asked, "What have you been thinking?"

"I know the smartest option is to sell Hazeldell quickly and make it someone else's problem, even if we take a loss on the sale. You and I have nothing personally invested in the estate. We do not need it and restoring it will take a great deal of effort not mention possibly being dangerous."

"That makes sense, but I can tell you do not like this option."

"It may just be my pride, but I do not like being run out of town the way we were. To sell it off and not look back may be smart, but it feels like the coward's way out."

"I can see that. I agree it is the smartest option, but what would you prefer to do instead?"

"I want to return there, with proper arms and backup, and call the tenants together to give them some options and let _them_ help with the decision. The estate may have already been in bad shape when she took in on, at least, it seems likely. Aunt Catherine compounded any problems that already existed by installing a brute for a steward and then making unreasonable demands."

"What options will you offer?"

"I plan to tell them I am aware of the poor way in which Lady Catherine managed her properties. I know she raised the rents too high and put no money into repairs or the welfare of the tenants. I will tell them I understand their anger, but am not Lady Catherine nor am I anything like her. They can give me a chance to prove myself or they can suffer from their own stubbornness. I will tell them I only came yesterday to see how badly mismanaged the place had been and to find out what was needed to make things better."

"Do you think they will listen?"

"Probably not at first, but I will have my say. I will let them know my plan was to lower the rents to a reasonable amount and take steps to help them improve the production on their lands and the home farm. I planned to repair what was needed on the tenant homes and the main house and install a capable steward to work with them instead of bully them while collecting rents. This is where I will raise my voice to battle volume. I will tell them my original plan will _only_ work if _they_ are willing to cooperate with me and the person I bring in as steward. I will let them know after the reception my friend and I received at the Ring and Rose, I am hesitant to bring any _good_ person into that neighborhood, particularly not someone with a family, which I would have preferred."

"How do you think they will react to that?"

"With some jeering and shouts. I expect there will be some cheering about how they ran us off and how I was afraid to come back without an armed guard. I should have their attention by that time, though."

"What other options will you offer?"

"I plan to go in uniform. That will give a little weight to my next option. I will tell them if I cannot expect their cooperation or be assured of the safety of my steward there are two routes left to me. The property is mine, but it is a losing proposition as it stands. I would be within my rights to bring in my militia unit and turn out every tenant on the land. I could then either install a whole new group of people or raze the houses to the ground and write the loss off. My other option is to simply sell it and let them deal with someone else who would probably take that second option as well. I will then tell them that several of the men with me are tenants at Rosings. I have only taken over the estate from Lady Catherine recently but many of them have known me most of my life. If they want to _talk_ to those men they can get an honest assessment of what to expect from me. I will then offer them two hours to talk to my men and among themselves before they have a spokesman tell me which way _they_ prefer for me to go."

"You are hoping to talk them around."

"It could go either way. I will not take the second option, but I want it on the table, so they know I have thought about it. They will either choose to cooperate or I will sell. Giving them the chance and some say in the matter means I have not run like a coward or ignored the damage my aunt has done."

"I do not like to have you walk back into such a hostile situation, but I agree with the way you want to handle it."

"Oh, I will not be _walking_ back into it. I plan to take Old Satan with me. He's a better fighter than poor Bingley any day!" He laughed heartily and I joined. We continued our walk.

"Do you feel better for talking it out?" I asked after we had strolled silently for a little while.

"Yes, I do. The rest of the family will share their opinions and may have ideas that I incorporate, but I have my basic plan now."

"Are you planning to return on Saturday or on Monday?"

"Tomorrow is definitely too soon, so I will plan on Saturday and will only wait for Monday if I cannot arrange things to my satisfaction. Enough of that, now. Tell me about your drive yesterday."

"It was fairly tame compared to your brawl," I chuckled. "I did get the ponies into a trot and that satisfied Aunt Bennet's idea of speed. She did enjoy the drive. Uncle Bennet, Jane, Lydia and Teddy rode alongside and after we made circuit of the park they all went for a little faster ride on their own."

"Did Jane take Buttercup?"

"She did and said she had a very pleasant ride. According to Jane, Buttercup has a smoother gait than Nelly ever had and also a gentler, more obedient nature. I could tell she was thinking of asking Charles to see if you would sell Buttercup to them for her to ride."

"Hmm. I knew Grace never learned to ride and was thinking Tawny would do for her after we return. I never found out if you could ride or not. If you needed to learn I was hoping Buttercup might be a good option for you."

"As I told Jane yesterday, I was never much good at riding, although I know the basics. I always felt more comfortable driving. I am willing to try again, so we can all go out on rides as a family. I think Grace will pick it up quickly and will outgrow Tawny's gentle nature much as Lydia already has. At that point you will need to find a livelier horse for her and I can use Tawny. I would be happy to see Buttercup go to Jane. They seemed to have a connection yesterday, like Teddy and Sooty do."

Richard nodded. "Very well, then. If Charles offers to buy her I will give him the family discount. I expect Jane would be embarrassed if we simply gave the horse to her."

"I think you are right. Thank you, Richard."

He kissed my cheek. "I want you to be happy, you know."

"I know. Now, much as I have enjoyed walking alone with you, I think Teddy is itching for some time to tell you about his ride yesterday and hear about your trip."

"I will tell him a toned down version of what happened. He may have to make some difficult decisions like this in the future so it is good he knows about it. At least he will enjoy hearing how Old Satan came to my rescue." Both laughing, we headed back to the house.

0o0o0o0

Richard and Teddy spent a good part of the morning together. After our walk we went up to the nursery to collect Teddy and give me a chance to say good morning. I saw them off and stayed to speak with Mrs. Phipps. Richard planned to take Teddy down to inspect the stables and take a walk around the outbuildings while they discussed the previous day's adventures for them both.

Mrs. Phipps looked up from her knitting and smiled to hear Teddy already chattering away to Richard as they walked down the hall. "He is a good lad," she said, "and he has found a good man to look up to."

"I agree with you completely on both points," I said. "I want to thank you for talking to the villagers on our behalf and for finding me the group of women to help with the sewing on the new curtains. Have you heard what has happened with the two local estates Lady Catherine had purchased?"

"This and that. She used to send Mr. Oscott off to look after business for her. He let slip things now and again that made folks think she owned a few other places. There were also the messengers at the end of each quarter who would come in quiet-like and speak only with her ladyship. We knew something was up, but the less we questioned her ladyship's business the better off we were."

"I see no harm in telling you we recently learned Lady Catherine purchased nine small estates from people who needed to sell at a discount or face financial ruin. Only two of them are close by."

She nodded knowingly. "That sounds like her. Make your profit from someone else's pain. Is that where the colonel went off to yesterday and the day before?"

"He went to Upford Hall on Tuesday along with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Colton."

"And likely found a run-down house and pack of angry tenants," she said with a hint of bitterness.

"No, that was yesterday at Hazeldell House. At Upford Hall they found a well-run and well-maintained estate with loyal, happy tenants." She looked up at me with surprise.

"Of course, that was all due to a trick by the steward," I continued. "The second son of the original owners had been off at school learning to run an estate well when his older brother's foolishness made it necessary to sell. Young Mr. James Walter Morton dropped his family name and as Mr. Walter he convinced Mr. Oscott to hire him as steward by offering to come at below the market wage. He loves the estate and the people on it, so he set about to make it profitable again, even if the profit did not go to his own family. He started turning things around but, as you would expect, Lady Catherine refused to put in any funds for necessary work," Mrs. Phipps made a noise of disgust.

I continued, "She just told him to raise the rents. After a while he started keeping double books. He gave her what _she_ expected from the estate and he used the rest to make repairs and improvements. He also used it to cushion the impact on the tenants when she raised the rents again. He brought his parents back to live in the house, although they stuck to the servants quarters and he married and has a son about Teddy's age. Richard was very impressed at the condition of the estate, especially knowing it had been all but ruined by the older brother, who is now somewhere in the Canadas."

She smiled and nodded again, "I say that young man did well. What does the Colonel plan to do about the situation?"

"He will leave Mr. Walter in charge and his family can continue to stay there. He and the other men reviewed both sets of books on Tuesday and he came to some agreements with Mr. Walter. Richard will keep an eye on things, but he says he trusts the man despite the trick he played on Lady Catherine."

"That shows good sense. What about the other house?"

"When they visited Hazeldell yesterday they found what you expected and worse. The steward there was a brute and a thief. When he collected the quarter rent this last time, he and his sons packed up and left with the money. The tenants refused to even give Richard a chance to _say_ he will manage things differently, let alone prove it. When he and Mr. Bingley stopped for a bite to eat at the public house nearby, friends and family of the tenants attacked them without a word of provocation. If not for Richard's big black horse they might have been severely beaten or killed."

"Ah, that horse. The lad dotes on that great animal. Calls the beast his friend."

"That horse is the most intelligent beast I have ever seen. Teddy could do far worse for a friend."

She nodded in agreement and asked, "What does the colonel intend to do about this Hazeldell House?"

"He is going back to offer them a choice. He has a few options to give them, but in the end they will either agree to cooperate with him and a fair steward he puts in place to see to their needs and restore the estate or he will sell it to whoever will buy it and be done with them."

"Hmm, I wonder what they will choose. It sounds like that Mr. Walter would be a good man to help restore the place."

"I expect Richard has already considered that. Mr. Walter has a family, though, and Richard worries that even if the tenants agree to be cooperative there might be some danger to the steward or his family from the other locals. He plans to bring some of the local Hunsford men along with him, both tenants and some village men. If it is safe enough he will let the Hazeldell men talk to them and get their opinions of what Richard has done here so far."

"And you want me to have a little chat with some of them, or at least with their wives?" she asked me with a knowing look.

"Only if you think you should. I would not presume to tell you what to say or who to say it to. I just think it would not hurt if more people around here know what is happening. There will be things in the future we wish to keep private, but this is no longer a house built on secrets. I am sure Richard and I have much to learn about running an estate, but we already know we need to be open and fair in our dealings."

She reached over and patted my hand. "You are doing well so far. I know what to say. It may not end up convincing those folks who have been hurt and cheated at her ladyship's command, but that is their choice to make. The folks hereabout are determined to give you both a chance. I heard you do not plan to release any of the maids for the trouble in their pasts."

"No, they deserve a chance to prove themselves with their work."

"Fair pay for good work?"

"Exactly."

"The village women are glad you brought them in do to the plain sewing instead of hiring it done from outside. Those extra coins will come in handy in their households."

"I will always try to hire locals where I can. I may sometimes need skills they do not have, but I will go to them first otherwise."

"That is as it should be, Miss. Just as it should be."

0o0o0o0

Richard and Teddy came back in shortly before luncheon. We all gathered in the library and Richard outlined his plan for Hazeldell. As he expected there were some conflicting opinions about his idea.

"You would just sell the place?" Lydia asked. "Even for far less than it is worth?"

"It is an easier choice than it sounds, Lydia," Richard said. "I simply inherited the estate. I have nothing that ties me to it. I do not depend on it for my livelihood. It will hurt nothing but my pride to let it go, and even that pain is limited if I know I have given the tenants warning of my intent first."

"It still seems drastic," she said. "I went over the books for it. The estate was bringing in a profit."

"Not nearly the profit it could bring in if it were managed well, but what came in was at great cost to both the people and the land. The rents are far too high. The farms and manor house are a disaster. I suspect the land has been overworked. To run it correctly many changes will need to be made. Without the cooperation of the tenants it cannot be done."

"So what would a new buyer do?" Kitty asked.

"Probably they would start moving new, more cooperative tenants in to replace those who are there or they would find other ways to use the land. I would warn any purchaser about the local attitude, but it may not be so bad for someone unconnected to either the original owners or to Lady Catherine."

"You could sell it to Charles. He is not really related to Lady Catherine," said Grace.

"Oh, no," said Charles, raising his hands defensively. "I would not take that estate if it were given to me. I would not feel safe bringing Jane there and would make a hash of running the place. That property will need someone who is either much smarter or much stupider than I am." Everyone laughed.

"Who will you take with you?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"A few of the stronger footmen from Netherfield, some of the men from the village who helped with the smugglers and any of the Rosings tenants who are willing to come. I sent a message this morning to the militia camp asking for a small group of the men to come on a training exercise. They should arrive tomorrow afternoon. Teddy and I made arrangements to put them up with the groundsmen and grooms for a few nights. When we return to Meryton on Tuesday we will have quite the escort."

"Your plan should get you an answer without exposing you to too much danger," said Uncle Bennet. "Do you require support from any of us?"

"Not at this moment. I plan to ride into Hunsford this afternoon to talk with the men there and also arrange for a few carts to transport those men who do not have horses. If Teddy and Lydia want to ride along they may, but I will need you to stay out of the conversations I have with the men."

"Yes, Richard," said Lydia. "I want to come and I will be quiet while you make arrangements."

"Me too, Father," said Teddy happily.

The rest of us agreed to go about our activities while we waited to see what would happen. Our little meeting broke up as we headed to the dining room for some luncheon. We were starting to enjoy that room now that we all had comfortable chairs to sit on.


	75. Chapter 75

Several of the tenants agreed to go with Richard on his return to Hazeldell House, as did the village men he asked. He spent the afternoon making his battle plans for Saturday's expedition, tailed by Lydia and Teddy. With the education she was receiving Lydia probably would make a good officer's wife one day, especially if her husband let her lead the troops. The same skills would also make her a good mistress of an estate. Thornapple might do very well for her if she retained her current obsession for horses and riding. I hoped the people there would not react the way those at Hazeldell had.

I had my own project to work on. Richard told me he had never entered Lady Catherine's private rooms, so he had no particular unpleasant associations with them. If I liked them and was willing to clear them of her belongings he was willing to make those rooms our own. I had already removed the heavy curtains and done a search for any obvious hiding places for more documents or strongboxes. Now I needed to make the rooms ready for new occupants.

"May we join you, Sophia?" Grace asked when I told the group what I planned to work on that afternoon after Richard headed out with his followers.

"Yes, please, may we?" added Kitty. "We have done everything we need to with the ledgers. Papa helped us complete detailed reports on each estate and we have even made copies to go with Richard's letter to Will tomorrow."

Richard had told the group he would be sending another letter to Mr. Darcy. We had all written to the Darcys the previous week about the events on the trip and our first days at the estate, including the dinner at Sandershill. Richard had written to Mr. Darcy again after he and Charles returned from Upford Hall. His next update would include a request for Mr. Darcy to send someone to check out the three estates close to Pemberley using appropriate caution given the events at Hazeldell. He offered full authorization to take any actions Mr. Darcy felt were necessary to either care for or dispose of the estates. I knew Richard also planned to ask him to evaluate if any of them would make suitable dowries for Kitty, Lydia and Grace or a good purchase opportunity for Charles.

"If you care to join me I have no objection," I told the young ladies.

"I think I shall stay here," said Aunt Bennet. "I have a pleasant view out the window and plenty of light for my embroidery."

"Charles and I plan to take a walk in the gardens," said Jane.

"I did enough riding yesterday," added Charles. "A walk is more my speed."

Uncle Bennet had his book to read. He would keep his wife company in the library. I think he was enjoying her company now that she had calmed and no longer felt the need to fuss and fret over her future. They settled into their peaceful tasks while the rest of us went off to our chosen activities.

0o0o0o0

Lady Catherine had retained the original master suite that she and her husband used before his death. From the corridor one entered a large sitting room set in a corner. It was an L-shaped room similar to the library. This room was my favorite because it had what I considered the best views in the house from the two walls of tall windows. Two large bedrooms opened off the shorter side of the L. Each of those chambers had their own dressing room, bathing chamber and a room intended as a closet.

Clearly Lady Catherine had been using the interior bedchamber, probably due to the lack of windows, or perhaps it was hers to begin with and she just never changed. She had Argand lamps mounted on the walls to provide lighting, and by the bed and on a small table sat two of the recently introduced Carcel lamps.

"I have never seen a lamp quite like that," said Kitty on examining the Carcel lamp on the table. "Mama said because the oil for the lamp is thick and heavy it needs to be stored above the wick so it flows smoothly, but this one has the oil at the bottom."

"Those are Carcel lamps, Kitty," I told her. "Mr. Thompson purchased a few of them when they first came out. They use a clockwork mechanism to pump oil to the wick, which means the oil can be stored below it and not obscure the light from one side of the lamp as happens with the Argand lamps. They are more expensive, which is probably why we have not seen any others in the house."

We had carried candles into the room when we entered because it was so dark. I wound the mechanism for the pump, then lit the Carcel lamp on the table and it gave off a beautiful glow and much stronger light than the candles. It surprised me the smugglers had not destroyed the lamps when they searched the rooms. Apparently they were smart enough not chance starting a fire out of spite.

"Will you keep these lamps here, Sophia?"

"No, Grace. I think I will move one of them to the new drawing room to illuminate the pianoforte. It will be easier to read the music while playing with such a nice bright light. The other will probably end up in the drawing room as well."

The public rooms used mainly candles, although there were some Argand lamps there as well. Most of those were in the throne room. I would have to think about the best ways of lighting the house when we moved closer to winter.

In an earlier discussion Richard and I agreed we would prefer to share a bedchamber. I liked the exterior chamber better for that purpose. The interior room could be used as a private study or converted to an infant nursery if I had a child. For now it could be cleared of all the current furnishings.

I asked Larson to come up and supervise the small team of footmen as they dismantled the bed frame and removed the other items. He would be most likely to spot possible hiding places built into the furniture. I knew the smugglers had torn apart the mattress in their search for money and jewels, but the rest of the bedstead had not been harmed and might conceal secrets, as could the bulky frames of the chairs and tables. Lady Catherine had a taste for heavy items of dark wood with ornate carving work. I set them to work and moved on to the smaller rooms.

Lady Catherine's presence permeated the dressing room and closet. From the scent of stale perfume, still detectable despite the time since her passing, to the remaining gowns in the closet, she was there.

Mrs. Napier had learned from one of the maids that the smugglers had torn off any jewels decorating her gowns and had thrown the rest around. They took anything of value they could find in the rooms and had searched the walls for a hidden safe, leaving a few holes in the plaster showing their lack of success. After the arrest of the smugglers Mrs. Appleton had directed the gowns to be rehung, so there they were. Despite the fine materials they were of no use to anyone in _this_ household. I would not even want to take them apart and use the fabrics again because they would remind everyone of Lady Catherine.

I called for Clara Neddin, a lady's maid who came with the Meryton crew, and asked her to check all the clothing for hidden pockets or other hiding places for jewels or coins and then arrange for disposal of the clothing. She asked for two of the maids who had come from Netherfield to help her and promised she would clear and clean the rooms of _all_ traces of the former occupant while checking to see if anything of value turned up. I sent for the additional maids and left them to it.

While I viewed the mistress' rooms, Kitty and Grace had been going through the master's rooms. I joined them to see what they had turned up. The dressing room and closet were bare, probably cleared out after Sir Lewis died. A few holes in the plaster showed the smugglers had searched there as well. I made a note in my, formerly Richard's, notebook to see if any of the Meryton crew could repair the walls. They certainly seemed to have every other skill we needed.

A door in the closet connected with the closet attached to the mistress' chambers. I expected to find that handier than going through the other bedchamber to get to my dressing room. I used the door and went through to ask Clara to have her crew give the master's rooms a good cleaning after they finished their current task.

I learned that the back of both bathing chambers had doors to the servant's passages to allow for water to be carried in without disturbing the occupants of the bedrooms. I knew there was a network of servant passages in the house. Curious, I opened the door from the master bathing chamber just to take a look at the passage. I found a narrow hall inserted between the backs of the rooms I was in and a set of family bedrooms to the other side. The hall was lit by one of the windows that lined the house, this one covered with simple linen drapes that did not block the light. Far from being the dank and dirty passage I expected, the whitewashed walls gleamed in the light and I saw neither dust nor cobwebs in the corners. A worn strip of carpet lined the floor, probably to help silence the footsteps of any servants moving along the hall as they went about their duties. It intrigued me and I decided I would explore all the passages after I came back here to live. I wanted to know where they led and from what points we might be observed so that when I wished for privacy I might have it.

Despite the comfort of the seats in Lady Catherine's rooms, I decided I did not care for the style of any of the furnishings. After reviewing it all I asked Larson to have his crew empty the rooms of furniture. Grace requested two of the chairs be moved to her room and Kitty asked for one of the chairs and a small table. Larson said he would have those moved right away and the pieces they were replacing in the young ladies' rooms removed to the store room.

Richard and I would need a bedstead before our return to Rosings. I remembered seeing a bed I liked in one of the guest rooms from which I had removed the curtains to re-cover the sofa and chairs. While Larson's men carried the chairs to Grace's room I walked along so I could show them the one I wanted placed in the exterior bedroom. That particular guest room also provided a dressing table, a table for the sitting room, four chairs for the table and an armchair. I would have to see if I could find at least one more armchair in the same style somewhere. Once Larson fixed the seats all the chairs would be quite comfortable.

When we returned to the master suite I found Larson inspecting the underside of the heavy writing desk that sat against one wall. The assistant who had stayed with him was holding a candle over his shoulder to provide light.

"I am glad you are back, Miss. I think I might have found another secret compartment. The height of the sides of the desk does not match up with the depth of the drawers. The decoration at the base of this side is just a little different from the other and...ah, there it is."

He had moved a piece of the decoration which acted like the catch of a lock. The front face of the decorative panel at the base of that side of the desk popped forward a little. Using a bit of the decoration like a drawer pull, Larson gave a gentle tug. A hidden drawer opened. It contained folded pages tied with ribbon, much like the deeds had been. Each packet stood on its long side and they were divided by pieces of heavy paper with small tabs at the top. Each tab had a name written on it. It was quite a collection.

I gently flipped through the heavy paper tabs, looking at the names that were arranged in alphabetical order. I recognized names of the staff members. There were also tabs for Mr. Darcy, Georgiana and Richard. There was even one for George Wickham. I did not open any of the packets. I had a feeling I knew what they were. This was the place where Lady Catherine kept her hoarded secrets.

"How does the drawer catch work, Larson?" I asked.

He showed me which bit to turn while pressing. We closed the drawer and I opened it again, just to be sure I could. Then we re-closed it.

"What are those pages, Sophia?" Kitty asked.

"They are for Richard to look at first. I think they are the secret things Lady Catherine used to control people here. I expect Richard will destroy them all, but he may need to check a few for the family members first just to see what it was she thought she knew and who she might have told."

"Do you mean she kept documents on the family, too?" Grace asked.

"She wanted to control everyone," I answered. "Larson, please leave this desk where it is until the colonel has a chance to examine that drawer. I do not want it opened again until he returns."

"Yes, Miss."

"That was good work finding it," I told him. "There may be other secrets around here as well. Do you think the other side of the desk might also have a drawer with a different mechanism?"

"Let me look, Miss." He crouched back down and examined the decorative pieces carefully. "You may be right, Miss. Look here, how this flower moves." He slid the flower slightly and again the panel popped forward. Much to my relief, the second drawer was empty.

"I wonder what she kept in there?" Kitty asked.

"We have no way of knowing now," Grace answered.

"I am just glad it is empty. Every time we find something from Lady Catherine it means trouble of one sort or another. Even things that should be good, like the estate deeds, have a price to them. Richard found that out yesterday in Hazeldell."

"You are right. Every one of those estates has something about them that seems off." Kitty observed.

"It has to do with the way she treated people. That drawer is a prime example."

"Do you think the people in Hazeldell will give him a chance to fix the estate?" Grace asked.

"I cannot tell. The important thing to Richard is that he is giving _them_ a chance to decide for themselves. Maybe they will listen to him or to the tenants from Rosings. Maybe they will not. They will have to live with the results of their choices, but they do get to choose. They did not have that chance when Lady Catherine took over."

"I will get back to inspecting the other furniture, Miss," Larson said. "Did you show the men which bedstead you need moved in after we clear the master room?"

"I did. They also know which other pieces in that room I would like moved in here. That includes 5 chairs that will need their seat cushions re-worked."

"You do like to keep me busy, Miss," he said with a smile. "Will we be changing their fabric as well?"

"No, I like the fabric currently on them. I will need to order a new mattress for the bed. I have no idea how old the one on it is. We have time for it to get here. The same goes for fixing those chairs. We will not move into these rooms until we return in June, so they are not the highest priority."

"As you say, Miss. We just need to make sure we get the right items in here and then I can get them properly fixed up for you."

Larson returned to his work and I rang the bell for another footman to alert the staff that I wished to speak with the colonel immediately upon his return. Grace decided to stay in the rooms and watch the work being done. I think she also planned to guard the writing desk with its unpleasant contents. I trusted Larson and his team, but there was no harm in her staying.

I took Kitty and we went to visit guest rooms to see if I could find any other items I might like to use in the master suite. I had found a mirror for the dressing room, a clothes press with a padded top that might make a very nice bench seat under one of the windows in the master bedroom and another armchair that matched the first one, when I heard Richard call out my name from the corridor. Kitty and I went to greet him.

"Sophia, they said you needed to see me right away. Is something wrong?" He looked very concerned, as did Teddy and Lydia, who had followed him up the stairs.

"We found another of Lady Catherine's hiding places. You need to see what is in it. I do not think what we found is good."

"Lead on," he said and motioned me ahead of him. Teddy stepped forward and took my hand. All five of us headed to the master suite.

By this time Larson and his men had nearly emptied the rooms of furniture. The writing desk now looked out of place without all the companion pieces. I went over to it and sat on the floor in front of it. First I opened the empty drawer.

"This is the good side," I told them. "It is empty. The catch for the drawer is this flower." The others all gathered around, also sitting on the floor.

Teddy moved up right next to me and inspected the drawer and catch closely. I let him close the drawer and open it again. He pushed it shut a second time and looked at the other panel.

"There is no flower on this side, Mother."

"That is what tipped Larson off that there might be a hidden catch here. Can you find the piece that works the latch? It twists instead of sliding."

Teddy examined it closely. He made one wrong try before he found the piece that caused the panel to pop forward. He pulled the drawer open.

"It is just paper, Mother. Are these more deeds to houses?"

Richard had already caught sight of the tabs and the names. He gave a low whistle and swore under his breath even as I was answering Teddy.

"They are not deeds, Teddy. I have not opened the packets, but because of the names on the tabs I think this is where Lady Catherine kept her information to use against people and make them do what she wanted. Richard, I thought you should be the one to decide which, if any, are opened and what happens to them."

"I would say just burn the lot, but I expect you held off because Will, Georgie and I are included in that bunch."

I nodded. "You father, brother and George Wickham are there too."

"Wickham! Yes, I need to see what connection she had with him," he sighed heavily. "She has never made things easy for us. Has anyone else seen these?"

"Larson and one of his assistants saw the open drawer. As I said, none of the packets have been opened. Grace has been keeping an eye on the desk to be sure."

"Good work, Grace." He reached in and pulled out the packet behind the tab with his name on it. Untying the ribbon, he gingerly unfolded the pages and silently read the contents. He folded the pages back up and replaced them behind the tab, not bothering to retie the ribbon.

"She has had people spying on me off and on since I left school. It looks like she was trying to find evidence that I was engaging in something embarrassing to use against me. Fortunately I was never inclined that way. She probably had no more luck with Will, but I will not read what she had about him without his permission."

"What about Georgiana?" asked Lydia.

"I think I will wait for her permission as well. I have no qualms checking on Wickham's report, although I have a pretty good idea what I will find." He took out the rather thick packet for George Wickham and started scanning through it.

"Gambling, drinking, other things I should not mention, debts, cheating, lying, using Will's name to run up bills, no surprises here...oh, I spoke too soon." He read through the rest of the pages silently. As before, he folded the packet back up then put it back behind the tab.

"Will needs to see that one. Wickham was on Lady Catherine's payroll part of the time. I do not want to know what she had against each of the servants. I am inclined to burn those pages."

"Wait, Richard. Some of the maids have children Lady Catherine placed out in secret. I have just realized those notes may tell where the children are. I think we should give the unopened packets to each staff member who is still here. They can each decide what to do with their own. Pull the packets for your family and put them in the safe, then see what is left and decide which you should burn."

"You are probably right, Sophia. There are sure to be secrets within the secrets. How shall we handle giving them out?"

"We need to assure each person that no one has opened the packet since Lady Catherine last put it away. It might be best if we call them up here no more than two or three at a time. We should start a fire in the fireplace. That way anyone who wishes can burn theirs at once."

"Good idea. I will pull the family items while you ring the bell and start the procession. Lydia, Kitty, Grace, Teddy, it might be best if you are not here for this."

"We can go to the nursery and play soldiers with Teddy. I promised I would this afternoon anyway," said Lydia. The four of them left for the nursery, although Teddy looked back at me with worry on his face before he went through the door.

I rang the bell. I would have the fire built up and then we would begin the process of calling in every staff member to receive their packets. I asked Larson to have his men bring up two comfortable chairs from those he had already fixed. I had a feeling Richard and I would need to sit down for this.


	76. Chapter 76

Overall, I think our people were pleased with how we handled the drawer full of secrets. As we explained what we suspected was in the documents to each small group, most did simply drop their packet in the flames. It was a mark of the respect we had gained that they believed us when we told them we had not opened the packets and were not actually sure of the contents except the one for himself that Richard had opened.

A few chose to read their packet. The maid, Alice, confirmed the location of her daughter. We gave her permission to take a day off the following week and go check on her condition.

"If she is not in a good situation or you want to bring her here there may be someone local who would care for her while you continue working. You need not fear losing your job as long as you continue to do good work." I told her.

"Thank you, Miss. My mother lives in Dilbury with my younger brother. She would have taken the baby in, even with the shame, but my wages are needed to keep us all. I send half my pay to her and she works as a laundress to make up the rest. When Lady Catherine hired me I was already showing and had been let go from the other place. She said if I did not do exactly as she asked she would not only let me go, she would ruin me and all my family, so none of us could find work again. She insisted on sending my little girl away. To keep me obedient, she said. I did not dare resist."

She was not the only one in that situation. By the end of the evening we knew of four more maids who had other family members to support and had given up a child to do so. Their packets all told them where to find their children. The two we had already known of from Mrs. Napier could not read. They had me look at their packets to see what I could find. I merely scanned the details until I learned the locations of the children. We noted that information on separate sheet of paper so they could burn the rest.

Eventually every Rosings servant claimed their packet and either burned it or took it away with them. What remained were records on some of the villagers and a number for people whose names we did not recognize beyond Mr. Carter, the former steward of Hazeldell. Richard said he would consider whether it was worth opening his packet to track him down.

"It makes me feel unclean to read these things," Richard said as we discussed it after he had briefly scanned the documents for his father and brother. "I am more determined than ever to put the name Fitzwilliam to rest forever. I would take the name of York right now, but the wedding does seem the best and most honorable reason for the change. People will accept it from a marriage settlement, where they might not for other reasons."

"I have been wondering, Richard, is there settlement to back up your claim?"

"Had I not told you? I had Phillips draw up the settlement and revise my will. We do have a clause requiring me to change my name to York. You are already my primary heir under the new will and the settlement reflects the provisions I made. There are funds specifically set aside for Teddy and Grace, but Rosings and all other properties associated with it will go to you until I make changes to the will on the birth of any children we may have. I wanted no mishaps like your father's will allowed. Will is the executor of my estate and I know he will make sure you have no problems. Bennet signed the settlement on your behalf in his role as your adopted uncle."

"I knew you would take care of me, Richard. I hope that will is not needed for several decades to come. I want to grow old beside you and watch our children and grandchildren grow up into happy, responsible adults."

"That is my hope as well," he told me as he kissed my cheek. He finished gathering the remaining documents with their dividers into a box he had requested for the purpose, keeping one more out. Uncle Bennet popped his head in the door just as Richard was closing the lid.

"Dinner is ready if you have finished your distributions," he said.

"I had one more," Richard told him, "and you are the man I needed to see."

Uncle Bennet stepped inside and looked around, walking to one of the windows to peer out into the sunset just starting to color brightly in the sky. "This is a nice large room and I see why you liked the view." He took the packet Richard offered him. "Collins, I suppose?"

"Yes. These are nasty documents, but I recommend you look. I have not opened that one, but the ones for my family had valuable, if unpleasant, information in them."

Opening the packet, Uncle Bennet read it in the light from the window.

"She knew he was not a properly ordained clergyman," he told us as he finished up. He walked over to toss it in the fire. "She also knew he was stupid and a sycophant of the first order. Even she was disappointed by the extent of his stupidity. She had records of some minor transgressions from his youth and, of course, the knowledge of his lack of ordination or proper approval for taking the living. With that information, she could have kicked him out at any time. Apparently she never needed to threaten him with anything. He was so grateful for the living he did anything she said, as we know. There was actually a note complaining that he was too good at groveling." He laughed and we joined in.

"I will lock the rest of these in the safe. Will needs to see some of them. I am not sure if the villagers will want theirs or simply want them destroyed unread. I may have to go back into Hunsford and ask about that tomorrow."

"For now," said Uncle Bennet, "It is time to eat. Come sit with family and enjoy good company and happy thoughts."

"I agree with Uncle Bennet," I said. "You can take those to the safe and join us in the dining room."

Richard nodded as he stood and handed me up from chair. He kissed my cheek again before carefully picking up the box full of packets. I gently pushed the now-empty drawer closed with my foot, then the three of us headed downstairs.

0o0o0o0

By the time Richard reached the village the next day word had already spread about what we had found and how we had handled it. Richard brought a list of the names with him, but not the packets. He went to the home of each villager and tenant on the list and took note of whether they wished their packet destroyed or if they chose to visit that afternoon and claim it. Most of them chose destruction and said they trusted Richard to take care of it for them. The remaining few were invited to stop by that afternoon and Richard would personally hand them the unopened documents.

While he went about the rounds he also finished up his plans for the following day. The company would leave just before dawn. Richard promised to provide hampers of food for the trip. A few of the tenants had horses to ride, but most of the village men would be in the two carts they were bringing. Richard told me he would have offered the carriages, but the men would probably have been more uncomfortable in a conveyance they felt above their stations, no matter how physically comfortable the ride might be.

Shortly after luncheon six members of his militia unit showed up for their training exercise. One carried letters from the officer he left in charge. Richard would have liked to leave Lieutenant Andrews in that role, but his rank was not high enough. Richard trusted Captain Wesson as long as things went smoothly for the unit, as it appeared was the case. The militia men were fed and given an update on the plan for the following day.

The militia men joined us for dinner that evening and we made a merry party. The three young ladies showed their ability to make pleasant conversation without flirting or being too loud. The men had a pleasant chat as they had their port after the meal, or at least that is what Charles said. Since they planned an early start everyone decided to retire shortly after dinner. They had both travel and a confrontation to deal with on the morrow. I planned to be awake to join them for breakfast and wish them well as they left.

0o0o0o0

Our entire group was impatient for the return of the party that next day. We all found tasks to occupy us, but were easily distracted. I found the room on the upper floor with the best view of the drive and had it furnished with one of the restored chairs. As the afternoon grew late I sat in that chair by the window and knitted as I watched for the returning party to come along the drive. Teddy sat with me. He had been out for a ride with Lydia and played ball for a time with a couple of the village boys who came to the lower part of the park for that purpose at our request. As we sat together and waited he told me about the adventures of the day.

I had noticed a lightening of the atmosphere in the house since the destruction of Lady Catherine's packets. The fear so many of them had carried was lifted and it showed in the way they moved and did their work. Most greeted me that day with a slight smile as well as the usual nod or curtsy. I had no need to check with Mrs. Napier about their attitudes. It was clear that everyone just felt better today. I could see it in the face of the maid who poked her head in the door.

"Miss, Mrs. Phipps was wondering if you wanted me to take the young master to her for his dinner and to settle him down for the evening?"

Teddy looked up at me in alarm. I knew he wanted to be there when Richard returned.

"Let Mrs. Phipps know that Teddy will stay with me until the men return from Hazeldell. I trust him to behave if we let him eat dinner with the adults."

She curtsied and left with a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mother," Teddy said. "I want to know what happened to Father and if the people will let him help them."

"I know, Teddy. You had to wait until the next morning last time he went and I know that must have been hard. We all want to know what happened."

He went right up to the window and looked out. "Is it nearly time for them to come back?"

"It will depend on how long it takes to talk to the people and whether they have any problems on the trip. I hope they return soon."

He jumped a little and said excitedly, "Is that him, Mother? I think I see men on horses!"

I looked where he was pointing and thought I saw the same. "Shall we go down and meet whoever it may be at the stairs?" I asked, standing up.

He took my hand and swung it a little, smiling broadly. "Yes, Mother!"

0o0o0o0

The riders _were_ Richard and his men. Grace, Kitty and Lydia all joined us on the steps to greet them, although the two married couples had decided to remain in the library.

"Make sure he comes here to tell us all the news at once," Uncle Bennet insisted.

Richard greeted us as they reined in the horses in front of the step. He looked tired, but not unhappy. Teddy ran forward to greet Old Satan and give him a few pats on the nose. The horse accepted the attention as his due, although even _he_ looked a bit tired. The other horses looked in desperate need of a good rub down, food and rest.

Dismounting, Richard reached out to ruffle Teddy's hair. He waved me back when I started to step towards him.

"Give us a chance to brush off the dust first, Sophia. Those carts kicked up quite a cloud." He accepted a brush from one of the footmen who had come out right behind our welcoming party. He gave himself a once over, proving his point with the cloud that floated away from him in the slight evening breeze. Once done he handed the brush to the next man. As the others dusted off, the grooms came up and led the horses away.

"An extra treat for all of them," Richard directed. "They have done good work today." The grooms acknowledged the instructions and went on their way.

Richard patted himself down once again, raising another small cloud, then he stepped forward to kiss my cheek. "I am glad to be back," he said, "and now I can get up to my room without leaving too much of a mess." He greeted the young ladies, but refused to answer any of their questions about the result of his trip.

"I am going to change out of this uniform," he told us. "I take it the others are in the library waiting on my report?"

"Yes, Richard. Uncle Bennet said to ask you to wait until you got there to tell us anything," I confirmed.

"I have no problem with that. I think my men are tired and will take their dinners on trays or with the servants. I will come to the library and tell the family my tale. You should not have to wait long. I intend to be back down as soon as I can."

We parted at the main stairs after he gave me another kiss and Teddy a hefty pat on the shoulder. I had no idea how things had turned out, but he did not seem unhappy and it looked like no one had been hurt. The five of us went to the library to await his return.

0o0o0o0

"I was glad we went in company," he began after taking a seat and accepting the drink Uncle Bennet poured for him. "And it was for the best you did not join us, Bingley. We attracted quite a bit of attention as we went through Butterfield. Once a few of them recognized me I heard the expected jeers about how they ran us off and how I needed a guard when I came back. Some of them looked a bit nervous at the uniforms, though. Or maybe it was Old Satan they were looking nervous about," he chuckled.

"I think the landlord at the Ring and Rose may have sent a runner to the estate. By the time we reached the gate Tanner, the old housekeeper's grandson, was coming out to meet us. It saved me the trouble of calling on him. I told him we were not there to cause trouble, but I had something to say to all the tenants and it would go down best if they would all gather in one spot. I asked him he if wanted to get them together up on the lawn at the main house or if my little company should go around and notify each household. He was smirking a bit at my choice to bring a guard, but he allowed as how he would gather the men. I suspected some of the villagers would show up as well, and they did. That was fine by me as long as no one tried to attack."

"Did they attack?" Teddy asked anxiously.

"No, son. They had better sense than that. My people got out of the carts and the tenants who rode dismounted. They formed a half circle behind me as we planned and the militia men remained mounted and on guard around them. I let Old Satan stand where he would and definitely saw some looks cast his way as people gathered."

"They cannot be that tough if they are more afraid of a horse than six armed guards," Uncle Bennet laughed.

"I would call their attitude sensible. The horse is probably a better fighter than the men," Richard responded. He continued with his tale. "When everyone was gathered I gave them the speech I told you I would. I could tell they were surprised. They probably thought I brought the men to move them out or punish them for the attack. After I said my piece I moved back to sit on one of the carts after taking the bridle and bit off Old Satan so he could graze comfortably. My militia pulled back enough to give easy access to the other men while still being available to step in if anyone started to threaten. The locals were a little hesitant at first, but soon a few stepped forward to chat. I was far enough back to be out of earshot. I told my men to be honest and have no fear that anything they said would be held against them, but I also wanted to stay far enough away they could feel comfortable. I could tell the groups of men talking together were hashing some things out. Some of the tenants wives and families had come up behind the group and a few of the wives stepped forward to talk with our folk as well. Eventually the locals pulled back into a small group and had what appeared to be a rather heated discussion."

"Were they disagreeing on how to respond?" Lydia asked. "Cooperating with you is really the only sensible answer."

"I think they were weighing their options. I read Lady Catherine's report on the steward and his sons. She chose them _because_ they were brutes. They treated those people badly and were cruel just for cruelty's sake."

"What did they decide?" Charles asked.

"When the time was up I left the cart and stepped back into place in front of my men, who all gathered back as they were at first. Tanner was the spokesman for the tenants. He stepped up and told me they allowed as how they might have misjudged me, though after what they had lived through with Lady Catherine they had cause enough. He told me they appreciated being asked and I made a fair offer. No matter how fair it was, they could not see their way clear to stay on as tenants of any kin to my aunt. They had agreed they would prefer to take their chances with another owner and they hoped I would try to find an honorable man to buy the place."

"They wanted you to sell?" Grace asked, amazed.

"That was their choice, although I am not sure they thought I really would. I thanked Tanner for his honest response and told him I would do my best to find a purchaser who would take proper care of the land and people. Tanner looked a bit taken aback, which is why I think they might have thought I was not serious. I suggested my men return to the carts or their horses and I put the bridle back on Old Satan. I was just about to mount when the proprietor of the Ring and Rose spoke up. He just happened to be the man whose teeth I had knocked out on my last visit." A ripple of laughter went around the room.

"What did he say, Father? Did he apologize for attacking you?"

"He started with an apology, Teddy. He said they had been hasty and took out their anger with the Carters on us. The steward and his sons had caused trouble in the village as well as with the tenants. He then went on to make an unusual request. He said as long as I would be selling the property anyway and considering it was not very profitable at the moment, he wondered if I might consider an alternative. I told him I was willing to listen. He asked if I would be willing to sell the property to them, the tenants and some of the local families. None of the tenants had much to offer with the rents Lady Catherine had charged, but if I was willing to let them each mortgage their farm to me their relatives in the village would help them make a first payment and they would guarantee the same amount they had been paying in rent each quarter as payment toward the mortgage and interest. He told me his family was outgrowing their quarters at the public house and he would offer for the main house and farm, which some of the other villagers would help run. It was an interesting offer."

"That it was," said Uncle Bennet. "I would not have thought of it. Of course it does not give you the kind of profit a straight out sale would do. How did you respond?"

"I asked Tanner what he and the other tenants thought of it. They were all looking a bit stunned, but they pulled together in a group and talked with the innkeeper for a few minutes. Tanner stepped forward and said they would all very much like the option to buy their homes and run them as they would. I agreed to their proposition. I told them I would look at the records for each farm and determine a fair price based on the size and type of land. I would send a surveyor and a solicitor to measure out and write up the details for each farm, but _only_ if they would guarantee the safety of any men I sent. That prompted some laughter as I hoped it would, but both Tanner and Johnson, the proprietor of the Ring and Rose, assured me with absolute seriousness any man I sent would be safe. I told them I expected them to deal fairly with me and as a sign of good faith I would not expect their first payments until after the harvest quarter. That way they could use their funds on hand to deal with the planting and getting the land back in shape. It was in my best interest to see them prosper so they could make their payments on time."

"That was an unusual step to take," said Charles. "It actually makes good business sense. You are still the master of the place in all but name, yet you do not have to install a steward or take on the cost of the repairs. _They_ will work harder knowing the profits will return to their own families, not be taken away by an absent landlord. It also helps that they know you are willing to walk away. They are the ones truly taking the risk."

"That was my thought," Richard explained. "I will see if Phillips will help make out the documents. He can put protections in for both sides so they feel comfortable I will not turn them out or call in the mortgages early and I will have clear steps for recourse if someone chooses not to pay. The estate is less valuable broken up, but any buyer would have to deal with a hostile neighborhood. I make a profit either way, this is just the longer, slower way."

"So is everyone happy now, Father?" Teddy asked.

"I think they are, son. What do you think of the solution?"

"I am still not sure why they do not want you to help them recover. You could fix their houses and make things nice again faster than they can. But if they are happier doing it by themselves then I guess it works for everyone."

"In the long run I think it will work out, son. It is a better outcome than I hoped for after Tanner spoke his piece." He turned to me. "What do you think, Sophia?"

"I like this option," I answered. "Even if they had promised to cooperate with you as the landlord I would have been worried every time you had to visit them. They were really at a point where they had little left to lose. Now they will want to work with you even if it is just so they can be rid of having a landlord. I am glad you gave them a choice and I am even more pleased you took the counter-offer."

The others around the room spoke up, offering similar approval. Jane, like Teddy, still did not quite understand why they would not want Richard's help if they believed him to be fair, but she was not going to argue with the result. She certainly did not want Charles to visit Hazeldell or the village of Butterfield again.

I had ordered a very simple dinner, knowing that Richard would be tired from the journey. He decided to retire soon after the meal and took Teddy up to Mrs. Phipps on his way to his own room. I smiled to watch the two of them walk away side by side, with Teddy telling Richard about his ball game with the village boys.


	77. Chapter 77

Attending services this second time was a far different experience than the first. As our party, including the six militia men, arrived we received friendly greetings. One man laughingly asked Richard how much it would cost to buy Rosings from him. A few others picked up the tease and Richard responded with laughter and a joke. The women who were helping with the curtains greeted us with smiles and several village boys waved at Teddy as we approached the church door. He waved back with equal enthusiasm.

Mr. Greene gave another well-written and interesting sermon. This one was on the topic of faith. He covered both religious faith and faith in one another. I wondered briefly what he would find for subjects if we ever settled down to be just that boring family at the manor. He seemed a creative man. I was certain he would find a way to rework all the old subjects and make them new if there was no need to address any current events in the neighborhood.

After services we stood outside for a little while and visited. We made arrangements for some of the boys to come up to the park and play with Teddy the following afternoon. It would be our last full day at Rosings on this trip and I thought he would enjoy solidifying the friendships he was making.

Richard's men joined us for our family luncheon. They had realized, or Richard had informed them, they would get nowhere flirting with the young ladies. At this meal they engaged us all in more serious conversation.

"I had no idea your training exercise would be taking a long ride, then guarding a group of tenants and villagers from another group of tenants and villagers. Is that the kind of thing the militia is often called on to do, sir?"

Richard answered, "Unlike the regular army, whose primary purpose is to defend England from outside enemies, the militia is meant to help with internal issues. Your training is to prepare you for whatever might come up. Your job yesterday was to escort our party, provide a show of muscle and defend the people you were charged to protect if it became necessary. That is a common enough assignment. You might be protecting a dignitary instead of tenants, but the duty itself is the same."

"Yesterday was kind of a lark, sir," said another of the men, "aside from the long ride there and back."

"That is how it turned out," Richard said, "but I had reason to believe it could have gone a completely different direction."

"Those men attacked Richard and Charles at the public house without any provocation and had them outnumbered," said Lydia hotly.

"My friend Old Satan helped them get away," added Teddy.

Richard looked a little embarrassed. He was clearly not sure what to say, but Charles stepped in.

"The horse certainly provided a good distraction which helped us break free from the mob."

"So did the horse knock out that man's teeth or did you, Colonel?" asked another of the men with a smirk.

"That was my doing," said Richard, recovering his jaunty grin. "The horse just gave me room to swing my fist."

"I noticed they were a little nervous of him. I enjoyed watching their reactions when you removed his bridle and just let him graze freely. He may be somewhat picky about his riders, but he never seems to hurt anyone even when he unseats them."

Uncle Bennet spoke up, "You should have seen what happened when a man tried to steal him on our trip into Kent." He went on to tell the story of the would-be thief who ended up in the trough. He set all the men to laughing.

"Getting back to the training exercise," said Richard, a little while later, "what you were doing was part of a strategy. I hoped the situation would not end in fighting. Your main purpose was to provide a show of force, make them think twice about causing trouble. That is a lot of what the militia does. If we bring in a unit to a trouble spot your very presence makes people think twice about rioting or destroying property."

"Of course we do have to get involved sometimes, sir, like when we helped clear out the smugglers," said one of the men who had come to Hunsford for that operation.

"Yes, that is when you can be glad you learned how to shoot and how to take orders," Richard told them. "There are times your duties are as dangerous as anything I have faced on the battlefield, but most of what you will do is like yesterday. Stand around and look imposing."

"At least when you are not joining the locals at a dance and making the girls swoon over your handsome uniforms," added Lydia with a laugh.

"You only swoon over the _uniforms_ , Miss Lydia? I hoped you liked the men wearing them," one of the men teased.

"Well," she said with a smirk, "the uniform does make most men _look_ more handsome. I plan to save my swooning for men who _act_ handsomely as well."

After the chuckles ceased Mr. Bennet turned the conversation to our return trip to Hertfordshire on Tuesday. "More escort duty," he said to the men, "but less chance of danger."

"We will have a real convoy," Richard said, "with three carriages and ten of us on horses."

"Three, Richard?" asked Aunt Bennet. "We only brought two between ours and Charles'."

"We will be bringing one of the carriages from Rosings along as well and storing it at Netherfield. After all, I cannot bring my wife home from Hertfordshire riding with me on Old Satan with Grace sitting behind Teddy on Sooty. And I would have to hire a donkey to carry the trunks."

Everyone laughed at the image he brought up. "I should have thought of that," Aunt Bennet said. "I am glad you are doing the planning."

After luncheon everyone went off to their own activities. Richard and I took a stroll in the garden accompanied by Teddy, who alternated between walking beside us and running around ahead of us.

"I talked with the gardeners on Friday," Richard told me. "I let them know that neither of us cared for color perfect flower beds or tightly regimented rows of flowers segmented by type. I made it clear they did not need to make any immediate changes, but they also did not have to prune out any flower that did not meet the color scheme."

"Thank you for taking care of that. I think Larson was right when he told me the outdoor staff might be wary of dealing with me at first and the instructions would come better from you."

Richard pointed to a bed of flowers ahead of us. "I think Kedgers decided to make a few changes anyway," he said.

Right in the middle of what had been a bed of just bluebells stood three lilium giganteum plants in full bloom, their white trumpets open, spreading their fragrance around us. Each of the three huge plants was ringed by multiple colors of hyacinth, also in full bloom, transforming what had been a simple field of blue into a riot of color contained by the blue.

"That is new, Mother!" said Teddy, running up to the edge of the flower bed. "See all the colorful flowers!"

"Yes. I think they are lovely. Our gardener must have moved them from somewhere else to help brighten things up."

Teddy ran around the large flower bed once just for the fun of it, looking at the new flowers from all the different angles, then he came back to walk by us.

"How do you move plants? I thought pulling them up killed them."

"It has to be done very carefully," I told him. "A skilled gardener knows how to do it right, but sometimes they do not like their new homes no matter how carefully they are moved. Apparently the lilies and hyacinth like their new homes."

"The lily is the big one, right? It smells good."

"Yes, and the brightly colored ones are called hyacinth."

He nodded and took another couple runs around the bed while Richard and I watched him. "I am going to miss these times in the month and a half before our wedding," Richard told me.

"You will just have to visit Longbourn so we can go our for walks in the garden there. Aunt Bennet has told me I am not allowed to be a governess anymore. I will have more time for walks with the two of you."

"I will do my best to visit a few times a week. Things will be busy at the camp while I prepare them for the move to summer quarters and hand my duties over to my replacement before they leave. I had a letter from Mr. Sanders' nephew on Friday. I forgot to mention it because I was busy with planning the trip to Hazeldell. He offered me a good price for my commission and I sent back word that I would sell it to him when I relinquished my duties with the militia unit."

"That is excellent news. Purchasing your commission does not mean he takes over for you with the militia, does it?"

"No, someone will be appointed to my place, but not necessarily the person who buys my commission. Since he is in the regulars he will get higher pay with the new rank and will be eligible for other assignments. Whether he is reassigned right away will depend on his skills and where his commanding officer needs him."

"Are you concerned or upset about giving up your place in the military?"

"It is a change. I have spent my whole adult life in the army. I think it would be harder if I were stepping into a well-managed estate. For instance, if we were marrying and going to Upford Hall as our only home. It would be too easy for me. Some of these issues we are facing are frustrating and difficult, but they also challenge me and help make me less apprehensive about leaving what I have known because the knowledge and skills I have learned in the army have value in this new life."

"Then hopefully by the time it all settles down you will be comfortable in your new role?"

"Exactly. I am looking forward to being your husband, Grace's brother and Teddy's father. I am looking forward to taking on a new name and the responsibilities of this new life. At the same time that is a great deal of change. It takes my breath away sometimes. I will need your help and understanding if I become overwhelmed by it all."

"I feel the same way about my shifting roles. I was trained to be the lady of the house, but then everything turned and I was a governess instead. I will have to learn to be a wife and mother in addition to running the household. In fact with as little time as Grace and I have had over the years I may need to learn about being a sister in closer quarters. We will need to support each other."

Teddy ran up and dropped to the ground at our feet, laughing at the same time as he tried to catch his breath. "That was fun," he gasped. "I like the flowers in their new home."

We laughed with him and Richard helped him stand. "Come on, son. Let us keep walking," he said as he ruffled Teddy's hair. Teddy moved to my free side and took my hand, swinging it in time to our steps.

"Do we have to go back to Longbourn?" he asked.

"For a little while," Richard told him. "I have to finish up my work and pass on my duties to my replacement. The Bennets need to return home and we have to plan the wedding."

"I thought Aunt Bennet was doing all the planning," said Teddy. "She talks with Kitty, Lydia and Grace about flowers and ribbons and having breakfast at Netherfield."

"She is doing most of the planning," I agreed. "But we still need to be there to give our opinions and help out, not to mention being there for the wedding."

He laughed again, "I guess you do have to attend your own wedding."

"I would not miss it," Richard said firmly.

0o0o0o0

Richard decided to join me Monday morning for my last phaeton ride before our return to Longbourn. Teddy rode alongside. Lydia chose to take Tawny on a faster ride in a different direction. Charles and Jane planned to join her. As the new owner of Buttercup, Jane looked forward to the ride.

"Are you sure you do not mind riding in the phaeton with me?" I asked Richard as we set off.

"Why would I mind taking a drive with you?" he chuckled. "Besides, my horse would never let me go slow enough to ride alongside you."

I smacked him lightly on the arm, then prompted the ponies into a trot. Teddy stayed beside us as Richard directed me off the estate and down some lanes I had not seen before. We crossed a bridge and saw a small lake filled with ducks and geese. The ponies tried to drop back into a walk a few times, but I kept them at the slightly faster pace. I had no idea where we were, but I trusted Richard to get us back to Rosings eventually.

Teddy enjoyed the new sights. He spotted a weasel near the lane and pointed out a small group of rabbits on a hillside. He waved to people in the fields and asked Richard about the houses we saw. I looked forward to other rides like this. It would be even more fun once Grace learned to ride Tawny and could join us.

We returned and joined the others for luncheon. As we headed to the library after the meal, Larson approached and asked if Aunt Bennet and I would come to the workroom. Richard and Uncle Bennet were curious and came along as well. When we entered Larson proudly displayed the completed and fully upholstered chair he had designed for Aunt Bennet. The woodworker had delivered the frame on Saturday and Larson had done the finishing work on it that morning. The second chair frame would be delivered in a few days.

Aunt Bennet sat in her new chair and gave a sigh of pleasure. "Oh my! This is even more comfortable than that throne was. It feels just right on my back and the design is so lovely. This creamy wood compliments the fabric very well. I know it will fit right into my drawing room."

"Let me try," said Uncle Bennet. "Mine should be just the same so I want to know how it feels."

Aunt Bennet reluctantly stood and let him try the chair. He sat, shifted a little and then leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Do not dare go to sleep on us," said Aunt Bennet testily. "I want my chair back."

"I was just testing it," Uncle Bennet told her. "If mine joins this one in the drawing room you may find me there more often than in my study."

"Will we be able to transport the chair safely back to Longbourn atop one of the carriages?" I asked Larson.

"You should be able to, Miss. We will wrap it up carefully so nothing damages the fabric or the finish."

"We can put it on the third carriage," Richard said. "We will make sure it is handled carefully. Excellent work, Larson. Would you like it in the library for now, Aunt Bennet?"

"Yes, please. Perhaps you could pull my husband out of it before you move it. I do want to sit down again."

Uncle Bennet opened one eye and grumbled, "Just as I was getting comfortable."

"Come on now, Scholar," said Richard with a chuckle. "It is time to make your wife happy."

Uncle Bennet slowly stood. "I look forward to getting my new chair."

"I will make arrangements to have it delivered to Longbourn once Larson is done with it," Richard promised.

Uncle Bennet clapped Richard on the shoulder. "You have my thanks, Philosopher. You will understand the draw of a good chair when you get older."

Larson motioned two of his helpers to pick up the chair and move it to the library. They walked out with it, followed closely by Aunt Bennet. She seemed determined to claim it the minute they set it down. Uncle Bennet followed so he could return to his book.

"You made her very happy, Richard," I told him with a smile.

"I just paid for it," he answered with a shrug, "It was Larson's design and the shared work of the two craftsmen."

"All three of you have my thanks," I said smiling at Larson as well. "She has been so very kind to me and I want her to be as comfortable and happy as possible."

"That is the best way to treat your family, Miss," said Larson with a nod. "I am very glad to help."


	78. Chapter 78

Monday afternoon we received a large packet of letters from the Darcys. Mr. Darcy wrote in the cover note that he hoped it would reach us before we left Rosings. The timing was perfect. We had all gathered in the library for a little time together before our final family dinner at Rosings Park on this visit. Teddy had come back from his game with the boys full of excitement. He was telling us about how they had turned it into a game of tag by running as they threw the ball to each other when his story was interrupted by a servant coming in to deliver the package.

Everyone in our group received at least one letter from someone at Pemberley, even Teddy. Richard handed the letters out and we all began to read, sometimes sharing bits of our letter with the group.

"Elizabeth says here that her husband was a bit put out that I still call him "Mr. Darcy" when everyone else calls him "Will". He asked her to pass on his request that I use his name since we are soon to be cousins by marriage on both sides of the family," I told the group.

"I have wondered why you still used the more formal name," Charles said.

"They left for Pemberley before we decided I would call you and Daniel by name," I explained. "I did not feel it was right to be less formal without his permission."

"Mr. Darcy told me I can call him "Cousin Will" now that I am fully adopted," Teddy told us. "I haven't read all the rest yet, but I am happy he is my cousin too."

I reached out and stroked his hair. He was sitting on the floor next to my chair as he struggled to read through his letter. "We are _all_ family now," I told him. He nodded and went back to sounding out the next part of the letter.

"Georgie says that Will is teaching her about the estate accounts at Pemberley while Lizzy learns about the household accounts from Mrs. Reynolds," Kitty spoke up. "She is very happy you gave him the idea by having us work with Mama and Papa. She says her family heritage means more to her as she becomes more familiar with the land and the people who support it. Will is also treating her as more of an equal instead of just his little sister who needs protecting."

"I think he is wise to teach her," Uncle Bennet said. "It will deepen the bond between them when she can share some of the burden and it may help him rethink how he is doing things and perhaps lighten the burden for himself. Lizzy says she thinks Georgiana will gain confidence from learning and will spend less time worrying about her coming out and all the social situations that will entail. Lizzy tells me her husband plans to include _her_ in the estate lessons as well, once she feels comfortable with the household accounts. Mrs. Reynolds has been seeing to them for years, but Lizzy wants to know how everything works."

"Lizzy tells me that Mrs. Reynolds has been very friendly and helpful," Mrs. Bennet added. "She could not have asked for a better housekeeper or more help in learning about the people of Pemberley."

"According to Georgie, Will almost fell over laughing at Teddy's description of how the thief tried to steal Old Satan," Lydia told us. "They enjoyed all the other descriptions, but Teddy's was the funniest."

Teddy smiled. "Cousin Will told me he liked how I told the story. He also told me I did a good job on my first very long ride."

"That was a very long ride for your first bit of traveling," Richard told him. "I am glad Will recognized the accomplishment."

Lydia broke in, "According to Elizabeth, she could hardly write for laughing at the memory of how Will started to cough and choke with disbelief when he read of your intention to give Lady Catherine's throne to the Prince Regent. It took him a while to get his breath back, but once he thought the idea over he agreed it was the best way to dispose of the thing. On seeing Kitty's drawing of the throne, Elizabeth agreed as well."

"Will tells me he was not surprised by the discovery of the strongbox once he had time to think about it," Richard added. "He realized the discovery of the deeds for the nine estates explained many of the discrepancies he had continually noticed in the Rosings accounts. It also explained why the money in the hidden safe and vault exceeded what he thought she could have skimmed from the accounts without being detected. I look forward to hearing his thoughts about my experiences with Upford Hall and Hazeldell House. I should hear back from him late this week or maybe early next week on that."

"Georgie says she and Elizabeth were very surprised at hearing of the extra estates. They liked the idea that Kitty, Lydia and I were helping Uncle Bennet go through the account books. She said Lizzy laughed at hearing that Richard now calls Uncle Bennet "Scholar" when he wants to tease," Grace informed us.

"It is an honorable nickname," Uncle Bennet said with a smirk.

"As is mine," countered Richard with an answering smirk. The rest of us laughed at them.

"Lizzy says Will called in the local midwife to check on her. He has been hovering and worrying. The midwife assured him the everything is progressing as it should and he was not to stop her from taking walks as long as someone was with her to assure her safety," Aunt Bennet told us. "The two of them go out together for a walk every morning now." Elizabeth's letter to me added that the midwife had been very helpful telling her what to expect. I did not say it out loud for fear of insulting Aunt Bennet. She had tried, but she and Elizabeth did not always understand each other well. Elizabeth also thanked us all for looking after Aunt Bennet so carefully.

"Elizabeth told me she was very glad to hear about the chair Larson designed for you, Aunt Bennet," I told her. "They were all pleased the throne could be used to make something that would help your back feel better."

Aunt Bennet shifted in her chair and caressed one of the arms with the hand not holding her letter. "It truly is the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in. I treasure your gift, Richard, and I thank you for thinking of it, Sophia."

"I will treasure mine when it arrives," added Uncle Bennet with a twinkle in his eye, "for there is little chance I will be able to borrow that one any time soon."

"I had written to Georgie that I wished they could have joined us when Mary and Daniel came," Lydia said. "She says she would have enjoyed being in our company, but she and Will both have too many unhappy memories of Rosings, so they are reluctant to come here until Richard and Sophia have cleared it of all the old familiar things."

"Will said he also feared he would get in my way if he had come, just as he would have kept Bingley from truly learning what he needed if he had stayed at Netherfield like they had originally planned," Richard added. "He does have a tendency to take charge and since he knows what he is doing I probably would have let him instead of solving things my own way."

"You may not do things the conventional way," Uncle Bennet told him, "but you are effective. That situation at Hazeldell could have become very ugly if you had just tried to take over and force them to accept your authority."

"I was as surprised as anyone at Mr. Johnson's suggestion about splitting up the estate. In the end it made the most sense."

"It was not just that," said Uncle Bennet. "How many new owners for an estate would bring references to their new tenants to help ease their way into managing it? Not just written references, but people those tenants could identify with and understand? And then to let them choose to keep you as a landlord or take their chances with someone else? It was genius."

"Not really, Scholar. Although the way I handled it was unconventional, as you say, it was strategy and the result of things I have learned in the military. People respond better when they have choice, even if that choice is an illusion. In the end the decision was mine to make, but just being asked gave them an investment in the result."

"Do you think you will have any problems getting them to make their mortgage payments?" Lydia asked.

"I think each and every one of them will pay promptly each quarter and will probably find ways to make larger payments over time so they can own their land free and clear all the sooner. I will not ask full value for the land. I said I would be fair, but part of that means taking into account all the suffering Lady Catherine and her choice of steward brought to them when I set the purchase prices."

"I agree," I told him. "We do not need to make a big profit to live on. We have enough and more now. I think giving away the land or offering a price too far below the market would be seen as too condescending, but lowering the price just a little below will give them a boost."

"Father," Teddy spoke up. "Cousin Will asked me to write him a letter about the rest of my adventures here at Rosings. Can I write to him now?"

"Of course, son. Here, just a moment." Richard got up and brought a wooden step stool from the study. It was just the right height to serve as a writing desk for a boy sitting on the floor. He handed Teddy a piece of paper and pencil to work with. While the rest of us continued discussing the letters Teddy sat next to my chair and worked on writing about his rides in the country, his games with the boys and anything else that took his fancy. He even drew a small picture that was meant to be him on Sooty with a fox and a weasel in the grass nearby. I was glad he told us what they were so we could give Will a clue to help him interpret the image.

Kitty spoke up as Teddy was getting settled to write his letter, "Charles, will you be upset if I mention your sister, Lady Curlow, in a less than complimentary way?"

"Not at all, Kitty. I usually think of her in a less than complimentary way," he answered to our amusement.

"Georgiana says they enjoyed our descriptions of dinner at Sandershill, and especially Sophia's letter where she shared her conversations with Lady Fallow. Will and Georgie both thought it sounded just like a discussion with Lady Curlow. Lizzy told them she had too few interactions with your youngest sister to give an opinion, but suggested they might have attended the same seminary for young ladies, even if it was several years apart."

Charles began to laugh and we joined him. "I must admit, what I heard of Lady Fallow's conversation did remind me very strongly of Caroline. Lizzy may be right about them attending the same school. It was after she came home from her first year at the seminary that Caroline really became difficult to be around and spent all her time complaining and gossiping about other people. No offense taken, Kitty."

Since she largely repeated what we had already heard, I did not share my letter from Mildred except to note her approval of our having staff people ready to take over even if we had only needed to replace the housekeeper. She said the unpleasant way in which the house was run and the behavior of the housekeeper did not really surprise her from what she had heard about Lady Catherine. She hoped Mrs. Napier could turn things around for us and that the other key staff proved themselves worthy of their jobs.

We continued to have a lively discussion interspersed with comments from the letters until dinner was announced. Teddy had just proudly finished his letter to Will and let Richard read it over. Richard promised it would go out in the post the next day along with a note from him. As we went into dinner Richard whispered to me that his note would include an explanation of the drawing and a few supplementary details to round out Teddy's stories.

We all had an enjoyable dinner together. I had requested a slightly fancier menu with an additional course in honor of the occasion. The room looked and felt better than it had on our first night there. In addition to the refitted chairs, I had requested the mirrored tiles on the walls be shifted so the gaps looked planned instead of like missing teeth. The gaps themselves were filled with squares of light wallpaper to brighten the room a little more. I had the chandeliers evened out, with some of the crystals moved to fill gaps from the missing ones and some replaced with crystals from the chandelier in the throne room. With the candles lit the room glowed merrily now.

Richard's six men joined us at the table and the conversation flowed freely. We confirmed our plans to leave by ten the next morning and all the men discussed the logistics of setting the order of the carriages and which man would ride where in the convoy. We were bringing Buttercup and Tawny back with us, and Lydia wanted to join the men outside. She was only persuaded to take the carriage when every one of us insisted it would be unladylike if she was the only woman riding. Jane absolutely refused to ride the distance back to Meryton and none of the rest of us were either capable or wanted to ride that far. Tawny would join Buttercup at the back of one of the carriages and her tack would be packed with the luggage.

The men continued their planning over their after-dinner port. I took Teddy up to the nursery and joined Mrs. Phipps in putting him to bed. He was still excited at having received his first letter. He had us read it aloud to him before he would settle down and he told Mrs. Phipps all about the letter he sent in response and the picture he drew for Cousin Will. He wanted to take it to bed with him, but we both assured him it would be safer if we packed it with his luggage. I would have Richard let Will know how much the letter meant to Teddy in his cover note. I was glad Uncle Bennet and Mrs. Hill had taught the boy to read and write. Richard and I would be continuing his education to prepare him for school when he was older. Having a base to start on helped.

I tucked him in and kissed him goodnight before leaving him to the care of Mrs. Phipps. She had agreed to return as his nurse when we came back to Rosings.

"I like the lad. He reminds me of having my own children at home,"she told me when I asked. "That little cottage gets lonely sometimes and there is more going on up here at the manor. If you want me to look after him I will and be grateful for the chance."

I gave her my assurance that we did want her and told her Teddy had begged us to have her stay. She smiled at that. She told me she would spend the next month back at the cottage, but would move back up to the nurse's rooms just before we returned.

This night she settled into the rocking chair to make sure he got off to sleep all right. I went down to have my word with Richard and to write out the few last minute items I wanted to be sure to cover with Mrs. Napier, Mr. Harrow and Larson before I left.


	79. Chapter 79

We made the return trip to Longbourn with no problems or real adventures on the way, although Teddy reported seeing a fish jump out of a river as we crossed the bridge and a bull chasing someone in a field we passed. Richard said to me later it looked like the farmer was trying get the bull to move to a different field and just appeared to be chased but he saw no reason to dispute Teddy's view of things. No thieves accosted us, nor did any wild curricle drivers dare to cross our path.

According to Richard's plans we had the three carriages spaced out so no one was traveling directly in the dust of the one ahead. The men rode along the sides of the carriages, staying out of the dust as much as possible themselves. Richard posted one of his militia men to the front of the cavalcade and another followed at the rear. He rotated the men in those two posts at each of our stops to give a little variety.

Richard's men left us at Meryton, heading directly to camp, but Richard stayed with us all the way to Longbourn. We had taken the trip at a comfortable pace and it was fairly late in the afternoon when we arrived. Mrs. Hill came out to greet us as the three carriages rolled into the drive.

"Welcome home," she said as we all disembarked from the carriages. "I have hot water ready for washing up and dinner will be ready in an hour if that is to your liking, Mrs. Bennet."

"That will be fine, Hill," Aunt Bennet answered. "We will need to unload some items from the Bingley and York carriages before they can go to Netherfield. Is there dinner enough for our entire group?"

"Yes, madam." Aunt Bennet nodded and went in after asking Richard if he could arrange having her chair brought to the drawing room as soon as possible. Richard started directing the footmen while the grooms unhooked Tawny and Buttercup and led them to the stable along with the riding horses.

"Mrs. Hill! Mrs. Hill!" said Teddy as he let Sooty be taken away by the groom. "I went to stay at our new house and it is really big. It had dark, dark walls, but Mother is fixing it so it looks nice."

"Slow down now, Teddy," said Mrs. Hill. "You can tell me all about it later on. Just now I need to get the family settled.

"I am part of the family now," said Teddy, "so I guess I need to settle me, too."

"That is right, Teddy," she said with a smile. "You settle down. Your mother may need help with her things, or perhaps your sister does."

"Yes, Mrs. Hill," he answered and came over to ask if I needed help. I had him carry in the workbaskets, reminding him to leave Jane's in the Bingley carriage, while I accompanied Aunt Bennet inside. He happily retrieved the workbaskets one at a time and brought them into the drawing room to stow in their usual places. On his final trip he was followed by two footmen carrying Aunt Bennet's new chair. They set it down just inside the door of the room and set to moving her former favorite to a new location at her direction. Teddy climbed up into the new chair and sat swinging his feet.

"This chair is much nicer than that nasty throne," he declared. "Aunt Bennet's back will not hurt her when she sits here."

"That is true," Aunt Bennet told him, "but now you need to get _out_ of the chair so these men can move it to its place."

The two footman winked at each other, then picked up the chair with Teddy still in it. He gave a happy whoop as they lifted it up.

"He does not weigh much. Stop swinging your legs, though, lad," said one of them. They quickly had the chair settled in the desired spot. Teddy slipped out of it, laughing a bit at the fun he had.

"Here is your chair, Aunt," he said. "Shall I give you a hand into it."

"Thank you, Teddy," she said, leaning on his shoulder a little, while I helped at her other side as she settled into the seat. She pulled out her handkerchief and fanned herself with it. "There, that is better. I just had a little too much excitement. Now I am home."

"Would you like me to get you anything, Aunt?" he asked.

"No, no. You run along and help your mother. I will just sit quietly here. Richard and Charles know which trunks to move and Mrs. Hill has everything else under control." She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. Teddy and I quietly left the room.

0o0o0o0

It had only been two weeks, but already Longbourn felt strangely small to me. It was not that I felt discontented or needed the larger space, it just felt different. Our dinner that evening was the equal of anything we had at Rosings as far as the food was concerned. Our voices sounded different, though, in the smaller dining room.

Teddy noticed it too. "Why does everything seem different, Mother?" he asked me at dinner.

"We have been staying in a much larger house, Teddy. It will take us a few days for Longbourn to feel familiar again."

"Rosings felt so strange at first," said Kitty. "By the time we left it felt like we had always been there, even though it was still a very strange place."

"I enjoyed that library," said Uncle Bennet.

"You are welcome to visit again, Scholar. Family always has a place with us, right Sophia?"

"Quite right, Richard. Of course, our poor hovel is so cramped I have no idea where we would put visitors."

Everyone else laughed while Teddy said, "You are being silly, Mother."

"Very true, son," I agreed with a grin.

0o0o0o0

Mrs. Hill took Teddy off to settle him for the night after dinner. I offered to go with them, but she said she wanted to hear all his news so he could settle down properly. We also said goodnight to Jane and Charles as they got in their carriage to return to Netherfield. Buttercup and Charles' horse were tied on behind and our carriage from Rosings went with them.

Richard did not stay much longer after the Bingleys left. It was not until I walked him out to the drive before I completely realized we would not be in the same house anymore. I think it struck him at the same moment. He did not say anything, but he cupped my cheek in his hand and gave me a good long kiss. Then he mounted Old Satan and rode off towards Meryton. I gave a heavy sigh as I turned back to the house. I felt a little lost.

I did not really want to face the rest of the family. I did pop my head back into the drawing room and quickly wished them all goodnight, then I almost fled to the solitude of my room. Suddenly six weeks seemed a very long time away.

0o0o0o0

Charlotte walked in from Meryton on Wednesday to welcome us back and have a little visit. Of course the first thing Aunt Bennet insisted on when Charlotte entered the drawing room was that she admire the new chair, almost before we finished the usual greetings.

"It _is_ a very lovely chair, Mrs. Bennet," Charlotte said. "The curves of the legs and back are very elegant and I love the soft whitish color of the wood. How did you come by it?"

"Richard and Sophia had it made especially for me," she said proudly. "It has a design and special filling in the cushion that keep my back from hurting."

"Where did you get the design, Sophia?" Charlotte asked me.

"Lady Catherine had a very ornate chair that we found had an exceptionally comfortable seat. For reasons I will go into later, we had a workman recovering many of the chairs at Rosings. He figured out how the shape of the seat and the filling in the cushion worked together to support an aching back. Using that knowledge he designed this chair. Richard hired a woodworker to build the frame to Larson's specifications. Aunt Bennet selected her fabric for the cushions, then Larson finished it up as you see. We have second one in the works for Uncle Bennet."

"Aunt and Uncle?" Charlotte asked.

"I have been adopted as a niece," I explained.

"Yes," said Aunt Bennet. "We did not want her going to her new home as a servant. She is part of our family now, as is young Teddy."

"I can see how it might be awkward to visit as the governess and then come back as the mistress of the house. How was the visit?"

"It had its awkward moments," I said, "and they all now know I was a governess. You only had a little taste of Lady Catherine in the few moments she was here the night of the party. We discovered far more than we had ever wanted to know of how unpleasant she could be."

"The housekeeper said some nasty things about Sophia," Lydia spoke up. "She had heard things about our family from Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins and that awful Lord Willoughby had said something about Sophia that made the housekeeper think she had loose morals and Teddy was really her son."

"Oh, my!" said Charlotte. "How did you deal with her?"

"You should have heard it," said Kitty. "Sophia calmly refuted her every insult while the four of us were trying to get over our shock. She finished up by telling Mrs. Appleton that the comments were her notice and asked if we should search her trunks for any of the items that had gone missing."

"Richard did have her trunks searched," added Grace. "He also had a maid search Mrs. Appleton and they found four boxes made of gold with jewels on them. He talked to the magistrate and they had her transported."

"Of course," I said, "this had to happen on our _first_ full day there. Richard called a general meeting of all the servants and told them anyone who did not want to work for us could leave if they wished, but he would have them searched before leaving the premises. We had planned for problems and Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Nicholls had arranged for a group of people who would be willing to take on the key positions if we needed them. We sent word that day and our new staff arrived the following day. We actually only lost the housekeeper, but we found work for all the rest doing other things. Larson, the man who designed the chair, was the back-up butler. He had been apprenticed to an upholsterer when he was young and found he enjoyed doing the work again."

"Why did you need an upholsterer?"

Kitty and Lydia explained about the chair cushions. Charlotte could not quite believe it.

"So she kept the comfortable chairs for herself and she deliberately had the rest redone so her guests would have sore backsides?" she asked, trying to make sure she had heard correctly.

"I know it sounds strange," I told her, "but that is exactly what she did. She was that kind of person. She liked to control people or make them feel inferior and did not care how much it cost. She threatened to ruin the family of the man who made the modifications to the chairs for her if he did not comply."

"She kept track of secrets to use against every one of her employees and her family all on documents hidden in a secret drawer in her writing desk," Lydia said.

"You found these records?" she asked incredulously.

"We found them, but Richard only read those that pertained to him, his father, brother and George Wickham. Uncle Bennet looked at the one about Mr. Collins. We delivered the rest of the unopened packets to each of the people they concerned and let them choose whether to read or destroy them or both."

"Do you know what kind of secrets she held over your staff?" Charlotte asked with concern.

"I have an idea for many of them. I will not betray what I know or suspect. Richard and I informed the staff that we would not control them with their pasts. We would judge them on their work. We promised to pay fairly and expected good work in return. The atmosphere at Rosings improved greatly after that. So many people had been living in fear of what we might find out and how we would react."

"I cannot imagine running a house that way. How can you trust your servants if they are afraid of you?"

"I suspect she trusted no one. However, we did have fun as well. Lydia did you want to tell Charlotte about your rides?"

Lydia told Charlotte about Tawny and described some of the rides she took around Rosings. They all teased me about my phaeton and very slow ponies. Kitty brought up our race with the ducklings and got Charlotte laughing until she had tears in her eyes.

"You and your husband must come visit us some time, Charlotte," I told her. "Then I can take you out for a drive and you can see all this for yourself."

"I will accept your invitation. Perhaps in the autumn before we leave summer quarters. That will give you time to settle in as a married couple. Did you meet any of your neighbors?"

Aunt Bennet told her about dinner at Sandershill and meeting the Black family and Sir Wesley's family. Lydia tried to do an impression of Lady Fallow, but I reminded her not to be cruel. I had to admit it was a reasonably good impression. They all teased me about still being the governess. Charlotte just laughed.

"I do not understand, though. How did Bishop Parkhurst come to be there? Was he invited by the Sanders family?"

"No, he was staying at Rosings with us," I told her.

Lydia explained about the carriage accident and how Teddy had helped them get the ropes in place to lift the carriage and free the bishop and his secretary. They all insisted I tell Charlotte about the man who tried to steal Old Satan.

"Perhaps we should call in Teddy so he can tell it," I suggested with a laugh. "Mr. Darcy liked his description of the event the best, after all, and got a good laugh from it."

"You are calling our brother Will, now, Sophia," Kitty reminded me.

Charlotte laughed at that as well. "When I think of how arrogant and unpleasant we all thought him to be at first, it amazes me to realize he is now married to Eliza and manages to laugh over stories told by small boys. You tell me about it now, Sophia. I will hear Teddy's version of the story later."

I launched into the story, trying to build up suspense so the final disposition of the thief in the trough would have the greatest effect. I definitely had her laughing by the end and all the others joined in.

"If Teddy tells it better than that I really must hear it from him sometime. My father will enjoy that story no end. I must tell him to ask about it."

After a pleasant visit, all of us except Aunt Bennet walked Charlotte back to the main lane heading to Meryton. She planned to stop in at her parent's house before returning to her lodgings. We wished her well and went back to the house.


	80. Chapter 80

Richard had warned me he might not be able to get away for a few days. He was right. I knew not to expect him on Wednesday. He sent a note over on Thursday morning letting me know he could not visit that day either.

Since I had no reason to wait at Longbourn, Aunt Bennet decided I needed to go into Meryton and order another gown or two. I decided I needed a riding habit and I wanted to see if I could get a good pair of boots as well. I ordered a habit for Grace at the same time and Aunt Bennet ordered one made for Kitty. The shoemaker was able to provide boots for all three of us.

As we headed to the pastry shop for a treat after visiting the shoemaker, Lydia complained at being left out, but her mother reminded her she had a habit and boots made before the trip. Lydia still looked as if she wanted to say more, but when she saw us all looking at her with a raised eyebrows she swallowed further complaints and said "I wonder what type of horses you have at Thornapple? Do you know when Richard will be able to check out the estate?'

"He was not sure when he could get away. It will be an overnight trip even if there are no problems."

"I wish I could go along," she grumbled.

"You know that is not possible. Richard could not take you without other female companions along and a group of us would be too unwieldy. There is also the possible danger from disgruntled tenants. After Hazeldell he will be more cautious than ever."

"Do you think Charles will go with him this time?" Kitty asked.

"I think he would if Richard asked, but after the last trip Jane would be reluctant to let him go along."

"Surely he would not go alone?" exclaimed Aunt Bennet.

"I doubt he would," I answered. "I am just not sure who he would take with him."

We entered the pastry shop prepared to enjoy our treat. Mrs. Long and her two nieces must have arrived just before we did. We exchanged greetings and after we placed our orders the young ladies all sat together and were soon happily chatting about the trip in counterpoint to the Longs comments about a party they attended while we were gone.

Aunt Bennet and I sat with Mrs. Long. After sharing some details about the party, Mrs. Long asked about our trip to Kent. I let Aunt Bennet do the talking except when addressed directly. After all, we were speaking with one of _her_ friends.

Aunt Bennet told about the journey and lightly glossed over how we encountered Bishop Parkhurst. When she had described the size and grandeur of Rosings Park, Mrs. Long turned to me.

"You certainly made yourself quite a catch – an earl's son and a major landowner. Will you be capable of making the change from governess to mistress of a large house?"

Before I could answer Aunt Bennet cut in. "Oh, but Sophia _is_ the daughter of a _Viscount_ after all. Her mother trained her from a young age on how to run a household of that size. Her skills are why we were so glad she was able to oversee Kitty and Lydia's education. We consider Sophia our family now."

Mrs. Long looked taken aback by Aunt Bennet's assertions. I discomfited her further when I added, "I also had no idea when I accepted the colonel's proposal that I would ever be anything other than an officer's wife. You see his father's estate is in ruin and his brother is deeply in debt. Although Richard actually inherited the estate in December we _both_ found out about the inheritance _after_ our engagement was announced."

"You are aware Colonel Fitzwilliam is cousin to my son-in-law, Mr. Darcy, are you not? Based on that relationship, Mr. Bennet and I have told Sophia and Richard to consider us their uncle and aunt. My daughters are all delighted to think of Sophia as their cousin. Even Mr. Bingley and Dr. Burrows insist on recognizing the relationship."

Mrs. Long recovered herself enough to say, "You are fortunate to have gained so many wealthy relations by marriage. Will you hire a new governess to replace Miss York now that she is _family_?"

"We have already asked my brother Gardiner to seek a qualified replacement. The girls will still need training although their behavior is much improved thanks to Sophia. Miss Darcy has asked Kitty, Lydia and Grace to join her when she has her London come out."

"Your husband will take you to _London_ for the _season?_ I thought he hated travel. Everyone was surprised to learn he had made the trip to Kent."

"Oh, no. We will both be too busy at home if my condition proceeds as expected," here she gently patted her stomach with a smile. "Lizzy and her husband will manage things for the girls, probably with help from Sophia and Richard."

"I thought I heard Lizzy was in the same condition you are. Will she be able to look after four young ladies?"

"Well, yes, she is, but Lizzy is also much younger. With Sophia and Richard to help I am sure she can manage."

"Does Lizzy not need to be presented as well? Who will sponsor them all?"

"Sophia will sponsor Grace, is that not right, dear?" Aunt Bennet said. I nodded agreement. I had been presented before my father's death, so I could sponsor my sister.

"And Mr. Darcy told us Lizzy would be sponsored by the Duchess of Montrose," Aunt Bennet continued with a mild smirk. Mrs. Long's response was all she hoped.

"Lizzy? Sponsored by a Duchess?"

"The Duke of Montrose _is_ Mr. Darcy's godfather, after all. He was at their wedding. Did you not meet him?"

"Oh. Yes. I remember now. And so his wife has agreed to sponsor Lizzy?"

"She told them she would be delighted to do so. In fact, she insisted."

"Who will sponsor the other girls?"

"Mr. Darcy said the Duchess would make arrangements with a few of her friends."

"Imagine Kitty and Lydia Bennet presented at court! And by friends of the Duchess of Montrose! I simply would not have believed it." Mrs. Long looked as if she still did not want to believe it.

"We _have_ been fortunate in our connection to Mr. Darcy," Aunt Bennet said. "And now, with Sophia and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Speaking of which, you _must_ come visit and see my new chair. They had it custom made for me while we were at Rosings. It is simply the most comfortable piece of furniture I have ever owned. My back does not hurt at all when I sit in it."

I smiled at her enthusiasm. In some ways she reminded me of Teddy.

Our treats were soon consumed, as were the topics of discussion between the two older women. Mrs. Long made a frosty promise to call and see the wondrous chair as we rose to make our farewells.

As our party settled into the carriage for the return home Lydia said, "Prudence and Priscilla were jealous because we got stay at a fancy house, go for rides and have dinner with the neighbors."

"I hope you were not boasting, Lydia," I could not help myself saying in my governess voice. "You do not want to set yourself above your friends or make them feel bad."

Lydia looked ashamed and hung her head a bit. We were all surprised when Aunt Bennet added, "Yes, Lydia. You should not behave like I did with Mrs. Long when I went on about our new connections after she insulted Sophia."

"What did she say, Mama?" asked Kitty.

"Oh, she insinuated that Sophia deliberately caught the colonel because of his inheritance and his status as the son of an earl. She also implied that Sophia was getting above herself and would have problems making the step up from governess to mistress of an estate."

"Thank you for defending me, Aunt Bennet," I said.

"Not at all, Sophia. You _are_ family now. I will _not_ have Sarah Long making catty comments about you."

"You prefer to make the catty comments yourself?" I asked teasingly.

"Of course, dear," she said, smiling sweetly. The rest of us had a good chuckle at her expense.

0o0o0o0

We had decided that the girls would return to their normal schedule of study starting Friday morning. When we moved to the drawing room after their morning set of lessons they admitted they had missed the routine we had set up for them.

"I was glad we were able to perform acceptably at Sandershill," said Kitty. "I want to be sure I always have a well-practiced piece ready for moments like that."

"I missed working on the planting plans for Longbourn and checking on our tenants," Lydia added. "It was fun to follow Richard and see how he worked out problems at Rosings, but it means more to me here at home."

"I am glad you care about Longbourn, Lydia. Do you think that you will want to continue helping around an estate if you marry a landowner?" I asked.

"Whoever I marry will have to promise I can help before I will agree to marry him. I want to be able to ride and work with the tenants. I am hoping you and Richard will let me work with the books for Thornapple some more. I intend to learn about raising and training horses."

"I suspect Richard will agree to letting you help in some form once he has figured out how the estate is currently being run."

"Why did you and Richard not want any of us to mention the extra estates to people here, Sophia?" Kitty asked. "I know you said it was too much on top of Rosings, but surely Charlotte and our other friends would be glad for you."

"I am certain people will eventually find out about the other estates. Right now it is too much like boasting to talk about it and people will probably react much as Mrs. Long did just about Rosings. I do not want to flaunt our good fortune."

"I do not know that people would call Hazeldell good fortune," said Lydia with a slight snort.

"Despite what happened there, it _is_ good fortune. Our family is guaranteed a regular income from Hazeldell until all the mortgages are paid in full. Most people would be very pleased to have that kind of income."

"I wonder who Richard will send to Hazeldell to set things up there?" Kitty asked.

"Your Uncle Phillips will be heading there next Tuesday," said a familiar voice behind us.

"Richard!" we exclaimed nearly in unison, turning to see him standing in the doorway.

"I am happy to see you ladies as well," he said with a smile and an elegant bow.

I rose from my seat and walked forward to meet him as he entered. He gave me my usual kiss on the cheek in greeting before we sat side by side on the sofa.

"I missed you, Sophia," he said very softly.

"As I missed you," I replied in a similarly soft voice.

"I saw Teddy outside," he said at normal volume. "He told me you were all gathered here in the drawing room. I arrived just in time to hear Kitty's question."

"Do you think Uncle Phillips will be safe?" Lydia asked.

"I have their word for it he will. And he will not be alone. He will be taking his clerk along and will be accompanied by a team of three surveyors plus myself. We will also be spending the night in a large village to the north of Butterfield that has a reputable inn according to one of my men who has family in that area."

"I am glad my brother will not be staying in Butterfield," Aunt Bennet said. "I am still not sure I could trust those people."

"It is in their best interest not to harm anyone in our group. I had hoped I would not have to go, but Phillips reminded me I would need to be there to sign the documents for each mortgage. He also asked me to mention to you that he would feel more comfortable going on the trip if you would be willing to have your sister stay here Tuesday night."

"Of course I will," Aunt Bennet said happily. "I will ask her after services on Sunday. I would not want her to sit alone at home and worry while he is gone."

"I am very glad you will," said Richard. "Your brother is highly skilled at preparing contracts for sticky situations. I would prefer to have him work on this above anyone else. He will bring drafts of the mortgages with him, of course, but it will go more smoothly if he is there to make any adjustments to the documents before I sign the final with each man."

"Have you determined your price for each farm?" Lydia asked him.

"I have my figures ready, although I will be willing to negotiate if any man brings up factors of which I was not aware that might justify a lower figure. As we discussed before I have no intention of overpricing the land or making anyone suffer."

"What about Thornapple?" Lydia continued. "Will you be able to visit there soon?"

"I had planned to go there on Tuesday before Phillips reminded me about signing the mortgages. Now I will have to wait until early next week. I sent a note to Mr. Archer, the magistrate's brother, from whom we purchased Sooty. I asked if he would be willing to look over the report you put together on Thornapple and perhaps join me when I went to check the property out. He said he would be pleased to help me. I do know the steward, Mr. Deems, is likely aware I know about the property. I received the quarterly rents and report by express from Rosings yesterday. The numbers from this quarter are no different from last quarter, so if there are problems, they persist."

"I know I cannot go with you Richard, but will you let me help learn about the estate and how to raise and train horses after you visit? Sophia said you might let me help in some way." Lydia looked at him hopefully.

"We will have to see what I find. Once I know what is there I can decide how you can help."

"Thank you, Richard!" she smiled brightly.

"What about you, Grace, Kitty? Did any of the estates strike you as interesting?"

"I would like to know more about Castlemere just because I like the name, said Grace. "It makes me think of a medieval castle sitting on the edge of a lake."

"That sounds pretty," said Lydia, "but it is probably just a square stone house with fields for the sheep where the lake used to be."

"We will not know until Richard hears back from Will," I said. "Grace's picture is just as likely as yours, Lydia."

"Or it could be something else entirely," said Richard with a chuckle. "Maybe just a small group of shepherd's huts on a rocky hillside with a distant view of a lake."

"I am interested in Brockhurst," said Kitty, "the one here in Hertfordshire. I expect it is a great deal like Longbourn, although from the records they seemed to be cultivating more barley than we are and less wheat and oats. I am curious if that is due to the soil or to having a good market for the barley."

"I will find out about them tomorrow. I planned to leave early and see if I can return tomorrow afternoon. Lieutenant Andrews has agreed to ride along with me. With both of us in uniform I am hoping for less trouble than Charles and I had at Hazeldell."

"Will you be able to join us Sunday after services and tell us about the trip?" I asked him.

"I will be here."

"I am counting on you, young man," said Aunt Bennet teasingly. "Do not disappoint me."

"No, ma'am," he said with a grin like Teddy's.

"Teddy was looking forward to some time with you," I said, "and I was wondering if you would remind me about the basics of riding and caring for the horse. Kitty, Grace and I all ordered riding habits yesterday and I plan to do some practicing on Nelly or Tawny."

"I like that idea," he said. "Let us go find that son of ours and see if he can teach you about the proper care of your horse. I will just be there to supplement the lesson."

"May we go too?" asked Kitty.

"Let them have a little time with just Teddy," said Aunt Bennet. "You can have your lessons a little later."

Richard gave her a wink and a nod as he stood and offered me his hand. "Shall we?" he said.

I took his hand and stood. "I imagine Teddy is chatting with Old Satan and Sooty. He should not be difficult to find."

We walked out together, heading for the stables.


	81. Chapter 81

Saturday proved to be another day of repeated distraction as I waited to hear the results of Richard's trip to Brockhurst. I knew the reactions of the people at Hazeldell had been extreme. However, everything about Lady Catherine's business was extreme as well. While it was unlikely Richard would be attacked again, the possibility remained.

After guiding Kitty, Lydia and Grace through their morning routine I decided to give them a bit of a change. I had enjoyed my lesson the previous day on caring for a horse and tack. Richard told me Teddy had done a very good job of sharing what he had learned with me. I suspected Lydia would enjoy sharing what she knew as well. I teamed Lydia with Grace and Teddy with Kitty for a repeat of the lesson I had been given the previous day. With the student older than the teacher I felt breaking up the sibling pairs would be more effective. I joined them to provide any supplemental information Richard had given me and to see if I could learn anything new.

Lydia and Grace groomed Tawny, also cleaning and checking the tack. Teddy and Kitty did the same with Sooty, while I tended to Nelly. I asked one of the grooms to stay nearby and help or offer information during the lesson. Once we all felt comfortable caring for the horses and equipment we could try riding while wearing older gowns until our habits were ready. I had asked Uncle Bennet to help us get a start on Monday afternoon. We would rotate riding Nelly and Tawny since they were the only horses for which we had sidesaddles.

After our lesson with the horses I took Teddy up to the nursery for some practice reading and writing. Lydia loaned him her treasured slate along with one of the books we had used to help her learn spelling and vocabulary. She had practiced to the point that she now read fairly fluently, although some of the words with stranger spellings continued to cause problems. Her excellent memory skills had been a great asset to her in learning.

"My I read my letter from Cousin Will again, Mother?" Teddy asked as we began.

"You already know what it says, so now you are remembering instead of really reading. Let us work on reading new things and then you can read the letter again. Cousin Will has very clear handwriting, so his letter is easy to read, but you may find print in books even easier. Shall we try?"

I helped him work his way through a few of the fables in the Aesop book and we discussed the stories and their meanings. We laughed together over the story of the fisherman who played a tune on his flute to tempt the fish to dance into his net but found he only brought in a catch after he ceased to pipe.

"Do fish really dance, Mother?"

"I know they leap, but I am not sure I would call that dancing." I told him.

"Like the one I saw on our way home from Rosings. That fish flipped right out of the water and fell back in."

"It was probably leaping out to catch an insect to eat. Fish like to eat the midges and other insects that come close to the surface of the water."

"I ate an insect once by accident. It flew into my mouth and tasted nasty."

"You are not a fish, my silly boy. That was not the right food for you, so of course it did not taste right." I ruffled his hair affectionately and he smiled up at me.

After reading the fables we practiced his handwriting. Since he enjoyed writing and receiving letters I suggested he write a note to Cousin Elizabeth telling her about giving lessons to Kitty and me on caring for horses.

"She will enjoy hearing about what you taught. Cousin Will is teaching her to ride as well. If you write a letter to her she will write back to you."

"I will draw her a picture too. It was funny when Kitty dropped the brush and Sooty kept kicking it away from her today. I will tell her about that and draw a picture of Kitty brushing Sooty."

"I am sure she will enjoy both the story and the picture."

I had him decide what he wanted to say and write it on the slate so we could work on his spelling. Then I gave him a sheet of paper and let him copy his letter and make his drawing. When he asked how Cousin Elizabeth would receive it, I promised I would send it out with the next post. While he did his copying I wrote a letter to go with it asking Elizabeth if she would reply to him and telling her how much he had enjoyed receiving the earlier letter from Will. It was nice to know I could easily afford the postage to receive letters now that my worries about long-term housing and schooling for Grace were gone. It felt good not to weigh every penny ten times in my mind before making a purchase or accepting a letter. If Teddy wanted to write to Will and Elizabeth or Daniel and Mary we could afford to receive the letters in return.

I told Teddy we would plan on spending some time together in the nursery every day so he could work on learning the things he would need to become a knowledgeable man like his father and uncles. I was less familiar with teaching boys, but I had plenty of men around who could help me put together a program of lessons appropriate for a nine year old. Although I suspected I would get a different list if I asked Charles than if I asked Richard or Will.

Despite my occasional worries for Richard, I made it through the day well enough. He gave me peace of mind for the night by sending a messenger with a brief note that evening after dinner. It read:

 _Dearest Sophia,_

 _I have returned safely from my journey. You may stop worrying now._

 _As expected there were some problems on the estate, but no danger. I will explain fully tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you then._

 _Your Richard_

Breathing a sigh of relief, I thanked the messenger for making the trip. He headed back to the camp to let his colonel know the message was received. I went to the drawing room to let the family know Richard was safe.

0o0o0o0o

"Oh, surely you can tell us, Charlotte," Lydia said pleadingly as we spoke with Charlotte outside the church before services. "Your husband must have told you what happened on the trip yesterday."

"No matter what I may have been told or think I know," said Charlotte with a teasing smile, " _I_ am sworn to secrecy until the colonel has a chance to tell you himself."

"Just a hint, Charlotte?" said Kitty, joining her sister.

Charlotte just pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. She was clearly trying not to burst out laughing at their persistent pleas.

"What is this?" said Richard with a laugh as he joined the group. "Are you trying to persuade your friend to give up secrets?"

"We want to know what happened, Richard," said Lydia impatiently.

"If you do not settle down and stop trying our patience, young miss, I will bar you from the drawing room after luncheon. You will have to get your information from Teddy later on," he said, trying and failing to look serious.

"I will be quiet like Mrs. Andrews unless you tell me I can tell her," said Teddy from his place at my side. He had done very well attending services at Rosings, so he would be joining our family party from here on out.

"Just so," said Richard, ruffling Teddy's hair. I hooked my arm in Richard's and the three of us entered the church together, leaving Charlotte laughing quietly behind us.

I found myself missing Mr. Greene's sermons, although I had only attended the two. The vicar in Meryton was not a poor speaker. He was just not as expressive as Mr. Greene, nor was his material as fresh. I knew he was using a published sermon because I recognized the text as one I had heard before. The lesson was still a good one, it just did not feel as compelling. Or perhaps my desire to get back to Longbourn and hear Richard's tale was coloring my feelings about the sermon.

After services Aunt Bennet asked Charlotte if she and her husband would care to join us for luncheon. They agreed to come, asking if they could get a ride at least as far as Lucas Lodge afterwards. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips would be joining us as well, and they said they would be happy to take Lieutenant and Mrs. Andrews home that afternoon.

Richard, Charlotte and Lieutenant Andrews continued to tease us through the meal whenever one of them was asked to tell us about the visit to Brockhurst. I knew Richard would tell us in his own time, but I enjoyed listening to the playful conversation. Teddy joined in the teasing, particularly of Lydia, who continued to beg for news largely for the fun of the responses.

Finally, though, we finished the meal and gathered in the drawing room. Aunt Bennet briefly allowed her sister to sit in her special chair. Seeing the happy look on his wife's face Mr. Phillips came over to the sofa where Richard, Teddy and I sat.

"It looks like I need to order one of those chairs. Can you help me with that, Colonel?"

"I think we can arrange something. Sophia can tell you how much fabric they need for the upholstery. Have her pick it out and we will send it off to Rosings. I can tell you later how much it costs to have our workmen make them."

"Well, whatever it costs we will order two. I see Fanny is trying to take the seat back now and Agnes does not want to give it up. I am sure I will enjoy one as well."

"We have a second chair arriving soon for Bennet. He found his wife's chair very comfortable for the five minutes he was allowed to sit in it. Larson and Ayers may be able to do quite well selling chairs made from that design."

"Richard!" Lydia interrupted. "Will you _please_ tell us what happened yesterday?"

Mr. Phillips moved to take his seat with another nod at Richard. They would talk later.

"Well," he said slowly, "Yesterday. That was Saturday, I think."

Teddy laughed.

"Richard!" said Aunt Bennet with a note of exasperation in her voice. "You have had your fun. Now tell us!"

"Very well, Aunt," he said with the most elegant bow he could give from a seated position. "Yesterday morning, Andrews and I headed over to the village of Beedle, near Brockhurst estate. We went in uniform just in case of trouble, but we encountered none. In Beedle we asked around about the estate, trying to quietly get an idea of the situation. We heard the now familiar story of a family where the son had a penchant for gaming tables and a habit of losing large amounts at a sitting."

Lieutenant Andrews spoke up, "The locals were fairly forthcoming and had little respect for the father who let his son wager away the family holdings. It was not a long slow ruin. Apparently the young man incurred most of his debts in the six months after he graduated from Cambridge. The estate had been running well and profitably when suddenly the son was over his head in debt and they had to sell."

"I am no longer surprised Aunt Catherine learned about the trouble before anyone else could make an offer," Richard continued. "I learned from her file on him that she took advantage of my own brother's addiction to gambling and gave him occasional gifts of cash in return for information on who was betting heavily and losing large amounts quickly. It would be easy enough to learn if the estate was protected by an entail. She could then send her agent with an offer that was just enough to pay off the debts before anyone else became aware of the problems. In this case we learned the whole family emigrated immediately after receiving their payoff."

"If Lady Catherine was giving your brother money why were his debts still so high?" asked Kitty.

"She was not giving him much at a time and he was _very_ good at losing," Richard said with a look of disgust. "The really nice part about this estate for her was, as Andrews said, that it was a quick ruin and everything was still running well. She installed a man as steward who had a reputation of being a good manager but very strict. Her research was not as good as usual, for she failed to discover he also had local ties."

"How do you know about her research?" Charlotte asked.

"My aunt kept detailed records of her employees and the secrets she held over them to control people."

"Were those the packets Lydia said you found and gave to the staff members?"

"Yes. We gave them to all the staff at Rosings, tenants and villagers for whom she had records. I kept the ones for the stewards we had identified, not to use against them, but to get an idea of what I might be up against. Mr. Ferrell's record was fairly innocuous."

"What local connection did he have?" asked Uncle Bennet.

"I will get to that in a moment," said Richard. "After we did our preliminary information gathering we decided to head on over to the estate. Your research had noted the fields were not producing as well as might be expected and Mr. Ferrell had made a few requests for permission to use funds to fix the tenant houses and repair the equipment used for harvest. The funds were denied, of course, so he used that to explain the lowered production. As we came up to the estate I was expecting to see something closer to what we found at Hazeldell than what we found at Upford. To my surprise everything looked in order."

"There were some minor things that needed repair," Lieutenant Andrews said. "A few of the roofs had a little damage from the winter, things like that. Nothing severe that could be seen."

"True enough. It was not quite in the shape we found Upford Hall, but the estate looked significantly better than Hazeldell. As we rode up to the house I learned the answer to one of the issues Kitty pointed out. Those three fields you noted had been left fallow a few years running, ostensibly to recover from being over-farmed – well, they were not really being left fallow. They were very clearly set up for growing hops, right down to the oast house built between the fields."

"And that explains the high production of barley," said Uncle Bennet. "Where is the beer brewed? On Brockhurst?"

"Not on the land, but close nearby. That was the connection Lady Catherine did not know about. When we saw the oast house I made the same connection to the high volume of barley on the estate that you did. When we came up to the house we first asked to speak with the owner. By agreement Andrews did the questioning and I did not introduce myself. We learned Mr. Ferrell made good sales of the barley and hops to the local brewer at a reduced price since the owner of the brewery is his brother. As we suspected, the yield of the land is much higher than he was reporting and the sales of the difference made his personal profit margin. He did not say so straight out, but after I finally introduced myself and my connection to the estate I got it out of him."

"Did he recognize your name when you told him?" Lydia asked.

"Not at first. It was only when I told him that Lady Catherine was my aunt and I had inherited all her property that he began to sweat. Of course I did not actually inherit _her_ property, since she never owned it based on Sir Lewis' will, but there was no need to complicate things just then."

"Did he try to deny what he had been telling you earlier?" asked Kitty.

"He knew he was well and truly caught out. At that point I think he was wondering if he could be taken up for theft."

"Could he?" Grace asked. "Does what he did count as theft?"

"Oh, he was stealing all right, and doing so with intent. Although he was putting some of the proceeds back into the estate and upkeep of the tenant farms, he was doing that to maximize his own, unrecorded, profits. It was a little different situation than Mr. Walter."

"Who is Mr. Walter?" Charlotte asked. "Did you inherit _three_ more estates? I was wondering when you talked about Hazeldell and Upford."

"We can tell you about that later," Richard said. "I asked the family not to spread word that we discovered deeds to a number of estates purchased by Lady Catherine from families who needed to sell quickly. I did not want to flaunt our additional good fortune in the neighbor's faces. Hazeldell and Upford are two of them."

"I will expect Sophia to tell me the whole story later." Charlotte said firmly.

"I will," I told her, "but please do not tell anyone else."

"My trip with Richard to Hazeldell was quite an adventure," Charles spoke up. "That is why he wanted a uniformed companion with him this time."

Charlotte looked at me curiously and I nodded agreement to tell her all.

"What did you do about him?" Mr. Phillips asked.

"We sat down with him to have a chat. I told him I knew from the records that he was stealing from the estate and that the amounts were easily high enough to have him hung or transported. The evidence was hard to hide. The oast house alone would convict him given that those fields had been reported as fallow and out of use with no record existing of it being built or used. I let him know I did not intend to have him taken up for theft unless I had to. I recognized his management kept the land productive where Lady Catherine's instructions would have left it drained. He deserved some credit for that even though he had then turned his work to padding his own pockets. I was willing to see if we could come to an agreement"

"Of course," interjected the lieutenant, "he did not say it quite so reasonably. He had that man squirming in his seat. Clearly Mr. Ferrell was not sure if he should beg for mercy or just try to run. It took a while to get through to him that if he cooperated he would probably not swing for his crimes."

"I did not want to leave him on his own for fear he would grab what he could and run," said Richard. "I asked him to take us around and introduce us to the tenants. At each place I had Andrews watch Ferrell outside while I spoke with the men and got as close to an honest opinion of his stewardship as I could. As I expected from Lady Catherine's report, he was a firm manager, but the men said he was not unfair and they felt the estate prospered under his guidance. I was not sure how many knew the portion of the prosperity he kept for himself, but it did not really matter."

"Did you leave him as steward there?" asked Kitty. "Are you not still afraid he will take his profits and run?"

"At this point I do not think he will," Richard answered with a grin. "We made a deal that should work out well for him. Cutting off the connection with his brother's brewery will hurt the neighborhood as several local men are employed there. It is also a very good source of profit for the estate as Ferrell proved. Arresting the brewer's brother would cause hurt feelings and cut us off from a ready market for the produce the estate is already set up to grow. It might not go over very well in the village either. We went over his books together and I agreed to share the profits he had stolen from the estate in return for his agreement to report everything accurately from here on out. I warned him I have connections in Hertfordshire and I would be checking up on him regularly and not always in the open. If he played me false I would have him taken up for theft, but I would prefer to work with him and keep the estate profitable and well-run."

"Do you trust him?" I asked.

"Not in the same way I trust Mr. Walter. He will need watching and I will need to make regular visits. The estate is worth taking care of. I have some ideas for it, but I need a little information before I make any definite plans."

"It sounds as if it was a successful trip then," Charles said.

"I count it as a success. Time will tell if I made the right choices, but for now, things look good."

"May I ask a question, Father?"

"Of course, Teddy."

"What is an oast house? And why did the barley and the hops make you think there was a brewery?"

"Good questions, Teddy," Richard said with a smile.

"I was actually wondering the same thing," said Kitty.

"Barley and hops are important ingredients for making beer," Richard explained. "Large amounts of beer are made in a place called a brewery, Teddy."

Teddy nodded. Kitty, Lydia and Grace did as well, so it must have been news to them.

"An oast house is a specially shaped building that is used for drying the hops when they are picked. They are dried before being bagged up and sent to the brewer for use."

"I see. Was the oast house what told you that hops were grown in those fields?"

"It was a good clue. The other clue was the poles set up for the hops to grow on. The poles support the plants so they can grow better and give a better harvest. The two clues together made me certain the fields were used to grow hops."

"So we knew about the barley from the records," Kitty said, "but there was only a record that it was sold with no information about who bought it. Would Lady Catherine not have questioned that?"

"Probably not," Richard answered, "the main point for her was to make a profit. I do not think it mattered to her where or how the produce was sold, just that _she_ got what she expected to get from the estate. That is what made it so easy for the stewards to take advantage of the situation."

"I am just glad you boys did not get hurt visiting this estate," Aunt Bennet said. "We want you well and whole for your wedding, Richard, and Charlotte would never have forgiven us if her husband had been hurt on your trip."

"I might have forgiven you eventually," said Charlotte in a teasing voice, "but it would have taken some time. I am rather fond of my husband, after all."

The lieutenant looked at her affectionately. "I would have found a way to make it back to you," he said with a grin, "even if I had to leave the colonel to the wolves."

Richard laughed out loud when Teddy asked, "Did you really see wolves?"

"No, son," he said when he caught his breath. "It is another way of talking about people who might want to hurt you. And Andrews was only joking. He would not leave his superior officer unprotected."

"I am glad of that," said Teddy. "I want you safe, Father. I just read about wolves in a book Mother showed me and I wanted to know if I could see some if I went to visit the place with the oast house."

"Sorry, son," said Richard, "as far as I know there have been no real wolves seen in Hertfordshire for many, many years."

Teddy sighed, then he brightened a bit and asked, "Are there wolves at Pemberley?"

"Will and I pretended that there were when we were young, but Uncle George told us wolves do not live in England anymore. I am afraid you will have to see your wolves only in books, son."

Teddy nodded. "I guess I need more books to read."

"A boy after my own heart, indeed!" exclaimed Uncle Bennet.

"After your study is more like," Aunt Bennet said with a smile. Even Teddy laughed at that.


	82. Chapter 82

Charles and Jane rode over from Netherfield on Monday morning to help with our riding lesson. Trailing on a lead behind Charles came a third horse, wearing a sidesaddle.

"Caroline learned to ride at school. I bought this horse and the gear before we came to Netherfield thinking she might like to ride here, but that never happened," Charles said a little sadly. "I had actually forgotten the horse was in the stable. The grooms have been caring for her and exercising her all this time. We thought Jane or Lydia could ride her for demonstration while the three of you use Buttercup, Tawny and Nelly."

"That is an excellent idea, Charles. Thank you for bringing her. Perhaps you could ride with Teddy and give us tips while Jane and Lydia help us with issues specific to the sidesaddle," I said.

"Then it sounds like you do not particularly need _me_ out here," said Uncle Bennet, who had joined us as we met Jane and Charles in the drive."

"You did teach Jane and Lydia to ride. We would appreciate your guidance," I told him.

"Very well, Sophia. Let us see how much you remember and get Kitty and Grace started off."

Charles and Jane worked with Grace on Buttercup and Uncle Bennet worked with Kitty on Tawny. Teddy came over to join Lydia as she reminded me how to mount. On this day we all used the mounting blocks the grooms brought out for us. Nelly stood very still for me, perhaps hoping I would just let her stand there for a while instead of forcing her to move.

"That is right, Sophia," Lydia told me on my second time mounting. "Settle your weight comfortably and remember to grip the pommel firmly. You will feel more stable that way."

I shifted my weight a bit, remembering to sit straight and tall. When I had a firm grip on the pommel with my legs I did feel better than I had remembered when riding as a child. I tried dismounting and remounting again, more quickly finding that stable position. After a few more tries I thought I might be ready to walk.

"Remember to hold the reins softly, Mother. Father said it confuses the horse if you pull too tightly unless you are trying to get it to change direction."

Following the instructions of my tutors I prompted Nelly into a walk and had to discover how best to adjust my body to move along with her. Lydia reminded me a few times to grip the pommel firmly as I would forget and start to lose that strong and stable feel. As I continued to walk in large circles around the yard I became more certain my discomfort as a child came from not having a good grip to settle me properly in my seat. When I remembered to do so, it was actually fun to ride, at least so far.

Teddy mounted Sooty and rode alongside me as I had Nelly walk a little further. I thought he might prompt me to try trotting.

"Do mind staying with me at this slow pace?" I asked him.

"No, Mother," he said with a smile. "This is how Father taught me. He only let me walk the first day because he wanted wanted me to be very comfortable at this pace. He said if you do not practice walking your horse while sitting properly you will never be quite right when you learn to trot, canter or gallop. He would tell you to stay at a walk if he were here, although I do not think Old Satan would be quite as patient."

"You are probably right. Old Satan does not like to walk. Nelly would have trouble keeping up with him even if he did. How is Sooty doing at this pace?"

"He does not mind. It is like riding along with you when you take the phaeton. Nelly walks almost as fast as your ponies trot."

"She has longer legs than they do, so she covers the ground a little faster. You know they are both a little smaller than Sooty. All the same, I may need to find a pair of ponies that are a little larger and faster than those two."

We crossed paths with Jane and Grace, who were riding together at a walk in the opposite direction from us. Jane did not look quite as comfortable on the strange horse as she did on Buttercup.

"How are you both doing?" I asked as we approached them.

"This is fun, Sophia," said Grace. "Buttercup is a sweet horse and moves very smoothly."

Jane just smiled, but did not say anything. Knowing Jane, she did not want to hurt the horse's feelings by complaining.

We continued on our circuit, seeing Uncle Bennet walking his horse alongside Kitty and Tawny. Lydia was watching from the drive, looking left out. After we all had made a few circles around the area Uncle Bennet proposed we line up in sets of two and walk our horses down the lane for a while and then return. After Jane asked Lydia if she would like to take her place, the switch was quickly made. Jane stood with Charles to watch our little caravan head off.

When we returned Lydia and Teddy stayed mounted so they could take a longer and somewhat faster ride. Even at a walk Lydia found the new horse livelier and a little more challenging than Tawny. When Kitty asked if she wanted to take Tawny on her longer ride, Lydia asked Charles if she could continue with Charm, the new horse. After consulting with Uncle Bennet for a moment Charles said they would leave Charm at Longbourn for Lydia to use, as Tawny and Nelly were more suited to the beginning riders. After thanking Charles, Lydia rode off with Teddy, smiling as she went.

I had enjoyed the lesson, but was also glad when it was over. I had not remembered that I would feel so sore, particularly in my legs where I had been gripping the pommel. I felt a little bounced around overall.

"It will feel better in a day or two," Teddy said when we worked together in the nursery later that day. I was moving around a little slowly and must have winced as I stood up to get a book. "I hurt a bit at first too. Father said that was normal."

"Thanking you for telling me, Teddy. I know I will feel better soon. I want to learn so I can go out with you, Grace and Richard for rides at Rosings."

"You will like riding at Rosings. We can go over the fields and other places off the path without the phaeton along."

"I am looking forward to that. Now, let us see what you think of this next fable." Teddy read the short story and our discussion began.

0o0o0o0

Mrs. Phillips arrived at Longbourn the next morning as Kitty, Grace and I were learning to post a trot in the yard. Jane and Lydia were giving us suggestions, Jane from the ground and Lydia from the back of Charm.

"The colonel said to tell you he hoped your lessons were going well," she said to us after the footman handed her down from the carriage. "I can see they are. He and your uncle left very early this morning. I very nearly did not wake up to see them off it was so early."

"Did Uncle Phillips ride?" Lydia asked, drawing Charm to a stop next to her aunt.

"Oh, no, dear. He thought that would be too uncomfortable, especially with all the papers and things he needed to bring along. He and young Mr. Elben rode along with one of the surveyors in a the gig they use to carry their equipment. The other two surveyors rode alongside the colonel. You know, it will be so difficult to remember to call him Mr. York after you two are married," she added as an aside to me as I also pulled to a stop next to her. "We all just think of him as _the colonel_."

"I am certain he will not mind if you occasionally forget. He says he will have trouble remembering at first when he is no longer a colonel and becomes Mr. York."

"Well you girls just keep on with your lesson. I will go in and see if Fanny will let me sit in her chair for a while. My husband told me he has ordered a set for us. I went and picked the fabric out yesterday and the colonel sent it on to Rosings by messenger."

"Papa's chair was delivered a little while ago," said Lydia with a grin. "You may have more luck moving him out than you will with Mama."

"I will just have to see, I suppose," she said and with a wave of her hand she went into the house.

I was glad to know the men were on their way without problems. I hoped the visit to Hazeldell would go well. With luck Richard would not have to return there again after this visit. All I could do for the moment was concentrate on the tasks at hand and try not to worry.

0o0o0o0

"Have you been worrying, Sophia?" Richard asked after he kissed my cheek in greeting late Wednesday afternoon. He stopped by Longbourn to make his report after he and the others returned to Meryton.

"You went to _Hazeldell._ How could I not be a little worried?" I replied with a smile. Before I could say more Teddy ran up to greet Richard as well.

"I am glad you are back, Father. You will be happy to see how well Mother and Grace are doing with their riding. Kitty too. And Lydia has a new horse to ride." He said excitedly.

"Slow down, son. Let me take this all in," Richard said with a chuckle. "Now where did Lydia get a new horse?"

"Cousin Charles had it for his sister and forgot it was even in the stables. He brought Charm here with him when Cousin Jane brought Buttercup so Mother, Grace and Kitty could all learn at the same time. He left Charm here for Lydia to use while the others share Tawny and Nelly. Cousin Jane has been bringing Buttercup every day too."

"Have you been helping your mother learn?"

"Yes, sir. Sooty and I ride along next to her, even when she just walks."

"He reminds me to sit up straight and not pull too tightly on the reins," I added with a smile.

"Good work, son. We will have fun riding as a family soon."

"I have been taking my lessons in reading and writing everyday, too. I read from the book of fables and Mother and I talk about them. I wrote a letter to Cousin Mary today. I hope Cousin Elizabeth and Cousin Mary write back to me. I like getting letters."

"Then you will like what I brought with me. When I stopped at camp they told me I had a package from Pemberley. One of the things in the package was a letter for you from Will."

"Hooray!" Teddy gave a little hop. "I have a letter!"

"Let us go inside so I can report about my visit to the family and then I will pass out a few letters and you can read yours."

Teddy skipped ahead of us down the hall to the drawing room.

"Father is back safe and he has letters from Pemberley!" he announced as he entered the room. Hanging back a little from the doorway, Richard smiled, gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Only then did we enter the drawing room as well.

"Good to see you back safe, Philosopher," said Uncle Bennet from his new chair. He had only been able to enjoy it since Mrs. Phillips left for home a little more than an hour before.

"Glad to be back," Richard answered. We went to our usual spot on the sofa and sat down, hand in hand.

"Did they give you any trouble?" Lydia asked.

"None at all. They all had time to think about things and were gentler than the ponies for Sophia's phaeton."

"So you made agreements with all of them?" Aunt Bennet asked.

"Yes, Aunt. Your brother and his clerk, Mr. Elben, were kept very busy writing up final documents. They have an attorney in Butterfield who is related to Tanner. He came and read over each document as well and was satisfied with the terms. We went through the farms one by one. The surveyors checked the boundary lines and we documented them. In a few places the traditional boundaries had not really worked for the farmers and they came up with alternate boundaries. As long as both sides agreed the surveyors redrew the bounds and we changed the documents before finalizing the sale papers. Where they did not quite agree we let the local men work to find a compromise. Eventually everyone seemed happy with the final boundaries. We spent pretty much all yesterday getting the documents right."

"Did you spend the night in Butterfield after all?" Grace asked.

"I thought about it, but we all felt it was better to get a little distance. The inn we stayed at in Wellham was a decent place. They had good food and clean rooms. Mr. Phillips and his clerk found a pleasant spot in the private room we hired for the meal and they got all the paperwork written up. Then we went back this morning and finished signing the sale and mortgage papers for each of the buyers, with the team of surveyors as witnesses on my side and a few of the village folk for the local side."

"Did you lower the prices for anyone from what you had planned?" asked Lydia.

"We shifted the prices a bit where we also shifted the boundaries. That was only fair. Two of the six tenants were able to demonstrate some major problems that should have been fixed long ago. I took the cost of repairs into account and lowered their purchase prices accordingly. I think the end result was fair for everyone. I sold the main house as is, with a fairly low price that was offset by the better quality of the land for the home farm. Mr. Johnson seemed pleased with the deal. He also did not seem to hold his lost teeth against me. We had a laugh over the matter of the fight, although it could have gone badly for Charles and me if Old Satan had _not_ helped us out."

"Does he plan to live there?"

"He said he might when he grows tired of running the public house and turns it over to his eldest son. Until then the house will be occupied by his younger sons and their wives and some of their other relatives will help farm the land. The whole place was already starting to look better than when I was there last. They have cleaned up the fields, finished the ploughing and done some additional planting. I think this will work out well for all involved."

"I am glad you are done with them for now," Aunt Bennet said. "You can always send someone to collect the payments."

"Actually they will send someone to me. We made an agreement to that effect. They have a deadline to meet each quarter and I would only need to send someone if I do not receive their payments on time."

"That sounds easy enough," I said. "Lady Catherine would have been smart to make an arrangement for dealing with the property like you have. We still have the income, but do not need to be concerned with any of the responsibility."

"Just so. We will have enough responsibility with the other locations," Richard said with a smile.

"Charlotte was more impressed than envious when I told her about the nine estates. She has seen the work involved in running estates the size of Longbourn and Lucas Lodge. She felt that taking on responsibility for the land and people of nine estates that size, plus the much larger Rosings Park, was simply overwhelming. She said that she is actually glad the estate her husband is likely to inherit is of reasonable size, as she put it."

"I am trying to look at the estates as individual battles in a campaign and focus on them one at a time instead of looking at the whole war. I will need to look at the whole picture to guide how I plan the battles, but just looking at the war _would_ be overwhelming," Richard explained.

"And you will delegate running some of the battles to your trusted generals once you find and hire them," I suggested.

"That I will. Mr. Walter is already among my generals. Mr. Ferrell has been recently promoted, but has not yet earned my trust."

"And what do you consider Hazeldell?" Uncle Bennet asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A treaty signed with an allied realm. Their soldiers will handle the fighting." he said with a chuckle.

"What about the letters, Father? Is it time to read them now?" Teddy spoke up.

"Unless there are further questions about my trip, then it probably is." Everyone agreed they were ready for the letters. Richard opened the packet he had taken from his saddle when he arrived and carried in with him. It had been tucked into the side of the sofa next to him as we discussed the trip.

"Will you be messenger, Teddy?" he asked. Teddy jumped up from the floor where he had been sitting by my feet.

"Yes, sir."

Richard handed him the individual letters, letting him read the name written on the outside of each to deliver them to the correct person in the room, holding back Teddy's until last. After completing his deliveries Teddy received his letter and sat back down to sound it out.

"It is from Cousin Will," he said. "Was there anything else from Cousin Elizabeth?"

"There has not been time enough yet for her to both get your letter and have a response come back to you. It takes a couple days each way." I explained.

He nodded and went back to reading.

My letter was from Elizabeth, but also included a few lines of greeting from Mildred and Georgiana. Elizabeth expressed her surprise at the news about the situation at Upford and Hazeldell. They had received Richard's report about the second trip to Hazeldell and the plan to sell it to the tenants. She thought that was an excellent solution as the estate might otherwise be too much trouble.

She told me Will had shared Richard's intent to set up three of the estates as dowries for Kitty, Lydia and Grace and possibly sell another one to Charles. She was astounded by the idea and deeply grateful on behalf of her sisters. Will had planned to add to their dowries before they came out with Georgiana in London, but an estate would make them very attractive to a potential spouse. She asked me to carefully warn them about the dangers of falling for a fortune hunter. I would do so, of course, but I thought they were all getting an education about what could happen to an estate in the hands of the wrong man or woman. That knowledge would also stand them in good stead on the marriage mart.

She described how Will enjoyed Teddy's second letter. He appreciated the hints about the content of the picture and planned to maintain a regular correspondence with him. She closed by telling me how much she appreciated our having the chair made for her mother. Aunt Bennet's last letter to Elizabeth had mostly been filled with her joy over receiving it.

"Cousin Will thanked me for the picture," Teddy said once he had read his letter through. "He told me he hoped the fox and weasel were nowhere near the farms because the tenants would not want to lose their chickens. I had not thought about that."

"Foxes are handsome creatures," said Richard, "but they can wreak havoc in a hen-house. We will have to make sure our tenants do not have problems with them. Did Will say anything else?"

"He was pleased to hear how much I enjoy riding Sooty. I told him about the soldiers in the nursery and he says he remembers playing with them. He hoped we had a good return journey and that I saw some fun things on the way back. I will have to tell him about the fish and the bull that chased the man."

"You can also tell him about helping your mother learn to ride and about your new studies. We will need to get you started on Latin soon to prepare you for school. Did your father teach you Latin, Sophia?"

"Enough to start Teddy learning it, but he will need help from you or a tutor to gain any real proficiency in it."

"A tutor it is, then. I learned it well enough to read my military history, but I have long forgotten most of the vocabulary."

"I can help get him started," offered Uncle Bennet. "I have a Latin primer in my study with some of my other school books. We can ease him into the lessons so he still has time to ride and play. His best education will come from watching you run the estate."

"Thank you, Uncle," I said. "I had planned to discuss a curriculum of studies for him. If we can use some of your books to start out with he will learn quickly."

"I want to be a knowledge man, like you and my uncles, Father," Teddy said.

"Knowledge man?" Richard asked.

"Knowledgeable is a tough word," I said. "He wants to be a _knowledgeable_ man."

"Right," said Teddy, "Know- ledge- able." He sounded the word out slowly.

"Do you know what the word means, Teddy?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"Mother explained it means someone who learns lots of things and can use them to do what they need to and to help people."

"It seems you do know what it means. I am glad you think of us as knowledgeable men."

We discussed bits of the other letters, which were contained similar wishes for a safe return from Rosings and expressions of surprise over the situation with the estates. After a while Richard felt he needed to return to camp. His replacement would be arriving on Friday and he wanted to make sure everything was ready to begin the process of transferring command. That meant he would not be able to visit until Saturday at the earliest and possibly not until Sunday. I walked him out and received a brief kiss goodbye before he headed back to camp.


	83. Chapter 83

Thursday followed our new routine. Lessons in the morning followed by a little time riding. More lessons in the afternoon, including a gentle introduction to Latin and a few other subjects for Teddy. He was not sure he wanted to learn a language other than English, but knowing that all his male cousins, Uncle Bennet, Richard, Cousin Elizabeth and I had studied Latin at some point reconciled him to the exercise.

"Why did all of you learn Latin, Mother?" he asked me.

"Your male cousins and Uncle Bennet studied Latin because it is considered part of a gentleman's education. Many important books were originally written in Latin. Although some versions exist in English, they are not always complete or even correctly translated. A man or boy who relies on a translation in his studies is considered a lazy scholar. The teachers know the errors in the most commonly used translations so they recognize them in essays and examinations from students."

"Do the students get in trouble?"

"Many times they do. If they were intended to read the original, but they used a translation that counts as both cheating and failure."

"Father says good men do not cheat. I will learn so I can read the originals. Why did you and Cousin Elizabeth learn Latin?"

"Both of our fathers wanted to share some of those books with us. In order for us to be able to read them, they taught us Latin. I have not practiced in a long time, so I have forgotten much of what I learned."

"That is what Father said too."

"That happens to many people after they leave school. They start doing other things which become more important to them. Without practice they forget. Latin was not really important once Richard had to go out and fight battles. He could re-learn it easily if it became important to him again, but for now it is not. Cousin Daniel probably remembers much more of the Latin he learned because he is a physician. Many medical books and articles are still written in Latin."

"So he still has to practice reading Latin so he can read those books?"

"Exactly. Attorneys like Mr. Phillips also use Latin in their work. Clergymen will often keep up their Latin because the business of the church was conducted in Latin for many centuries. Men like Uncle Bennet and my father kept up their Latin because they like to read the old texts in the original form. You will also need to learn some Greek later on for the same reasons you are learning Latin."

"Greek, too?" He asked in a concerned voice. "Did Father learn Greek?"

"He and all the other men in the family learned some Greek as well. You will have to learn many things just to be ready for school and many more while you are in school."

"If Father did it then I will too." he said with a sigh combined with a firm look.

After that he settled down to begin learning with determination. I already knew Teddy was smart and he would do well. If we chose to send him to Eton or Harrow in a few years he would be ready.

0o0o0o0

On Friday, Kitty, Grace and I went to Meryton to pick up our new riding habits, with Lydia along for the company. The habits were essentially just an extra long dress with a full skirt that would allow for our limbs to be properly covered as we rode, topped by a matching spencer that had a short peplum around the bottom. The sturdy fabric would last well under the friction of moving in the saddle and the strain of regular washing. All three of us had chosen darker colors, the better to hide any stains. I was certain our daily rides would be a little more comfortable in the proper clothing.

We also did a little shopping while in the village. Teddy's birthday was coming up on the fourth of May, so we decided to find a few small gifts to help celebrate. Lydia found him a very nice slate to work on so that she could take back her special one. Kitty found a nicely illustrated book about the animals of England while Grace purchased a hoop he could roll around the yard. My special find was a set of well-carved wooden horses; two of them even had removable riders. He would be able to imagine all sorts of adventures for them. The other three were also spending their embroidery time on handkerchiefs decorated with a TY for Teddy York.

We stopped by Charlotte's lodgings briefly before returning to Longbourn. She was happy to show us around her home and to serve us tea in the tiny sitting room that overlooked the street. If not for the inheritance, this would be exactly the kind of home I would be looking forward to sharing with Richard. The space was a little tight, to be sure. Charlotte told us that no matter how cramped she might feel, even though it was leased this home was hers to manage as she saw fit. She did not have to answer to her parents or consider the needs of her siblings. It was a space for just her and her husband. She declared herself "quite content", but I think she radiated joy, not simple contentment.

I wished we could stop at the militia camp to visit with Richard. We could not, even if it would not be unseemly for a group of woman to do so, as his replacement was due to arrive that day. Richard would be busy preparing or might already be working with the new man. I hoped he could visit at Longbourn the next day, but knew Sunday after services would most likely be the soonest I would see him again. Instead of going to the camp, we took the carriage straight home after our visit with Charlotte.

0o0o0o0

Saturday was much the same as Thursday except that we were able to wear our new habits on our ride. As I had suspected, they were definitely more comfortable, being made to fit so we could move as we needed to while remaining modestly covered at all times. Having the correct clothing also helped me feel more confident in my riding. It was like the difference between going to a ball in a simple morning gown or in a fancy ball gown. Now I looked the part of a horsewoman, so I could feel and behave the part as well.

In the afternoons Teddy and I had started to work with the school books Uncle Bennet provided. He wanted to jump in and learn everything at once. I convinced him to pace himself.

"You need a good foundation," I told him. "Just like you first spent time walking your pony so you would have a better seat when you learned to trot."

He accepted that logic and so we began with a few simple lessons in mathematics, history, literature, composition and Latin. We only spent a little time on each subject as I did not want to overwhelm him or lead him to dislike his learning time. His enthusiasm to be like his father and cousins would help carry him through the new schedule of activities if I did not assign too much work. He would need play time as well.

0o0o0o0

On Sunday, we arrived at church to find Richard waiting for us with another man in the uniform of a colonel. Richard introduced the family, including the Bingleys who arrived just after us, to Colonel Overby, the new commander of the militia unit. The colonel appeared about ten years older than Richard, who was just shy of 30. He did not appear to be a particularly cheerful man, although that might be simply his reaction to being in a new place and meeting many new people. He chose to remain with the unit for services and declined Aunt Bennet's invitation to join us for luncheon afterwards.

Teddy was excited to tell Richard everything he was learning, but there was not time before services. I was proud of him for sitting mostly still and keeping quiet through the sermon. He began to fidget a few times, but when I touched him gently on the arm he would look at me, realize what he was doing and calm down again. I told him I was pleased with how well he had behaved as we walked back to the carriage after services and Richard added his approval onto mine.

It was not until we disembarked from the carriage that Teddy was finally able to list off for Richard all the things he was starting to learn. Richard let the groom take his horse to the stable and came to help us out of the carriage. Teddy was torn for a moment between running to his father's side to talk and offering Aunt Bennet a shoulder to lean on as she made her way inside. Uncle Bennet solved the dilemma by offering Aunt Bennet his arm. This left Teddy free to bounce alongside Richard as we went in.

"Father, I learned about the Roman people who spoke Latin and came to England and built London, only they called it Londinium, which sounds really funny," Teddy said in a single breath.

"I had forgotten that London was a Roman encampment to begin with. It is a very different place now from an isolated military camp and trading post. So was that part of a Latin lesson or part of a history lesson?"

We were studying history. Mother told me about how the Romans came here. They built camps and towns and even a great big wall to keep people with blue skin out of England."

"Ah, Hadrian's Wall. Someday I will take you to see some of that wall. It is still there in places."

"Are there still people with blue skin on the other side of the wall?"

"I have never seen any, son. They were not blue all the time. They dyed their skin to make themselves look strange and fierce in battle. It scared their enemies and also helped them know who was on their side and who was not, the same way our soldiers wear red coats."

"I thought you just wore a red coat because it looks good on you," I teased him.

"Well, there is that too," he answered with a wink and a grin. "What else have you been learning, Teddy?"

"Mother said I did a good job when she tested me on adding and minusing things. She said I could work on mult...multa...what is the word again, Mother?"

"Multiplication is the word," I told him, saying the first word slowly.

"That was it," he said, "Mul...ti...pli...cation. Like when I have three sets of two soldiers each. Mother said I could count them all 1 at a time or add 2 plus 2 plus 2, but if I memorize that 2 times 3 is 6 I can get the answer faster."

"Your mother is correct. I found that easier than straight counting when I would do scouting missions. I could count how many groups of three or four enemy soldiers I saw, then multiply the number of groups to quickly figure out how many men were there. If you learn your multiplication well it will help you later."

"Yes, Father. I also started learning how to write an essay. It is different than a letter. In letters you can tell people what you are doing or anything you feel. In an essay you answer a question and add extra sentences to show why your answer is a good one."

"It will help you later on if you learn to write good essays, son. I know it is not much fun now, but you can use what you learned in writing an essay to help you organize your thoughts or write a report to someone or even to prepare for a speech."

"When I finish my essay on why the Romans built London will you read it?" Teddy asked eagerly.

"Yes, I will. I am interested to hear what answers you come up with and how you support them."

"Mother is helping me find the answers now. She says that will help me do my own work later," Teddy said as we took our usual seats in the drawing room.

"I was good at math," said Charles as he came into the room after us, "but I always received poor marks on my essays. The teachers complained because my handwriting is not very clear and then when they finally picked their way through it they discovered no ideas of any importance. I nearly failed in my history and literature classes until Darcy showed me how to make an outline before I started writing to be sure I was actually answering the question with what I wrote."

Teddy nodded. "Mother said an outline is a good place to start, even when you write a letter. That way you remember to put in everything you wanted to say."

Teddy, Charles and Richard talked a little more about Teddy's studies before Uncle Bennet asked Richard his opinion of the new colonel.

"I have worked with Colonel Overby briefly in the past. He is a firm disciplinarian, but not a harsh man. I think the men of the unit will do well with him once they learn his ways. Now that we have weeded out those men who were involved with the smuggling and reorganized the men who are left into a more cohesive unit, he will be able to step in and carry their training forward."

"When is the official hand-off?" Charles asked.

"Overby has already taken charge, but asked me to be available on Monday and Tuesday for any questions or problems he may have. I will travel to London on Wednesday to make a final report to my superiors there at which time I will finalize my resignation and complete the sale of my commission to Mr. Sanders' nephew. I should be back here on Saturday next as a civilian."

"That will be a major change for you," Uncle Bennet said thoughtfully. "Where do you plan to live until the wedding?"

"I was actually hoping I could persuade Bingley and his wife to allow me a room at Netherfield until then," Richard answered, looking hopefully at the pair.

"Of course you must stay with us, Richard," said Jane firmly. "Then you may come and go as you like while you sort out the business with the extra estates."

"Thank you, Jane," Richard said with a smile. "Speaking of the estates, I have some news. If you remember, the estate called Sandingum is in the northern part of Devon. It turns out Overby's family owns an estate nearby and knew the family who owned Sandingum before Aunt Catherine purchased it a few years ago. They did not know the name of the purchaser, just that it had sold and was now run by a steward. Overby visited his family a few months ago and passed by the estate a few times. He says nothing there seems amiss to him. Very little has changed except there is no longer a family living in the main house. The herds of cattle are well tended, as are the sections of the estate given over to farming."

"Well that is good news," said Uncle Bennet.

"It was definitely a relief to me. I also received the quarterly rents from Sandingum and Brierford Place by messenger from Rosings earlier this week, as well as the rents from the three northern estates. All of them are now accounted for this quarter."

"Were the figures they sent in their reports consistent with the earlier ones Lady Catherine had recorded in the ledgers?" asked Kitty.

"Myrtleridge was slightly higher than the most recent reports. The rest were just about the same. I will still need to have someone check out Sandingum and Brierford. I sent a letter to my friend and Bingley's brother, Lord Curlow, asking if he or someone he trusts would be willing to venture to the two estates and check out the conditions. His estate in Dorset is much closer to those two than we are here. I will pay a reasonable fee to whoever he has look into them. If he cannot help then I will go in person around the middle of next month."

"When will you visit Thornapple?" asked Lydia.

"I plan to go Wednesday the sixth. Mr. Archer has agreed to go with me then. I have also heard back from Will about Myrtleridge. The estate was close enough to Pemberley he went himself. He found some evidence of mismanagement and probable theft as well as the need for some repairs to the tenant homes. He did not trust the steward who was there and learned the tenants had a very poor opinion of him. Without proof he could not charge the man with any crimes, but using the authority I had granted to him Will discharged the steward and installed a man of his own who he brought with him. The new steward is making arrangements for repairs. Will has sent me a list of what he considers reasonable rents and production quantities for the estate. I sent the new steward authorization to reduce the rents to the figures Will calculated."

What about Eldenhall and Castlemere?" I asked.

"Will planned to visit them this week and I should receive his report sometime next week. I nearly forgot, I have letters from the Darcys for you all. Teddy, would you run out to the stable and ask one of the grooms to give you the packet from inside the bag attached to my saddle?"

"Yes, sir," Teddy jumped up and quickly left the room. He returned not long after, entering just in front of Mrs. Hill who announced luncheon was ready for us.

"I will hand these out after luncheon," Richard said. "I think we can all wait that long for our news from Derbyshire." He chuckled at Teddy's slight frown and ruffled the boys hair. "Even you, Teddy. You do not want to have to rush through your letters from Will and Elizabeth. You can give them your full concentration after we eat."

Teddy nodded, although he was still not quite happy he had to wait. Together we all went in for our meal.


	84. Chapter 84

"According to Will, Myrtleridge may be an appropriate estate for the Bingleys." Richard whispered to me as I accompanied him outside to see him off late that afternoon. "It is closer to Pemberley than we thought, so Jane and Elizabeth could visit freely. Will said once they have things in order, Bingley will find running it similar to Netherfield. I will bring up the idea with Jane and Bingley after I move back to Netherfield so they have privacy for considering whether it appeals to them."

"That would be best. I will remain silent until they bring it up with me," I whispered back.

"It will be a long week," he said in a more normal tone. "If I can I will stop by Tuesday evening after I move my belongings to Netherfield. Whether I come on Saturday will depend on how early I can leave town."

"Travel safely, dear. That is more important than traveling quickly," I told him.

"I will miss you, Dearest. Is there anything you need in London while I am there? Anything for the wedding?"

"No, but be sure to bring back something for Teddy's birthday. I found him a set of wooden horses," I said quietly.

"I will not forget," he promised. Richard accepted his horse's reins from the groom. He had come on his other horse that day, not Old Satan.

"Will you be keeping this horse, Richard?" I asked.

"Yes. He is a good horse and has done well by me. There are times when Old Satan is a little too temperamental to be the best mount. This fellow is a little more dependable. I will probably take him to town because he will do better on the crowded streets of London."

I nodded. What he said made sense. Fond as we all were of the big black horse, he could be a handful, especially in crowded quarters.

"Well, just be careful not to let anyone steal him. He is not likely to protect himself from theft."

Richard laughed. "Yes, I will have to be careful of him. I cannot depend on him in a brawl either." He gave me a quick kiss before mounting his horse. "I love you, Dearest"

"As I love you." I replied. I stood and watched as he rode away down the drive. I sighed as I turned to go back into the house. He was right. It would be a long week.

0o0o0o0

On Monday Teddy was still excitedly re-reading his letters from Will, Elizabeth and Georgiana. Each of them had sent him a note. Uncle Bennet gave him a blank leather-bound journal with pockets in the front and back where he could store his precious letters. He put them in their place and then pulled them out again to read so many times I thought he might tear the pockets eventually.

"Do you write in a journal, Mother?" he asked me when we returned to the nursery after Uncle Bennet had explained the purpose of the blank book.

"Yes, Teddy. It helps me remember the things that are important to me each day. I can use it as inspiration when I write letters to other people or just to organize my thoughts when I am confused about something. My journal is just for me, so I can write anything I want in it."

"So no one is supposed to read my journal?"

"It is just for you, Teddy. No one else should read it without your permission. Of course, when you are not writing in it you need to keep it put away so no one else thinks it is fine for them to read it."

"What do you write about?"

"I write about the things that make me happy and the memories I want to keep. Sometimes I write about my worries or about things I need to do. I wrote about our riding lessons and all the fun things we have done together and how I feel about us becoming a family. What I write depends on how I feel each day. I usually write at the end of the day, but sometimes I will take my journal out at other times if I really need to put something down."

"You write every day?"

"That makes it a habit, Teddy. If I write everyday then I keep at it instead of forgetting."

"I can make a habit too. That way I will know what to write when I answer my letters. I need to write letters this afternoon."

"Yes, we will use that to practice your handwriting and composition. Shall we start with Cousin Will?"

"He asked me to tell him about my studies."

"You do not need to tell him everything at once. If you do you will have nothing new to tell him about in your next letter. Why not tell him about the two things you have found most interesting so far. You can use the slate to write down your ideas."

He nodded and set to work. He would write about his studies to Will. Elizabeth asked for more news on the riding lessons. Georgiana had not asked any specific questions. She told Teddy she had enjoyed hearing about how Teddy was helping teach us to ride and then she described some new puppies that were out in the Pemberley kennels. He would have to decide on his own how he wished to answer.

Tuesday brought more letters. Mary and Daniel had each written a note in response to his letter to Mary. Teddy would tell Daniel about his Latin lessons and Mary about a visit he made to the tenant farms with Kitty and Lydia while they were out riding together.

My letter from Mary discussed her progress on the pianoforte and the continued decoration of her home. She spoke of visiting with her Aunt Gardiner and doing some shopping. The two letters had arrived with a small package which now sat in Uncle Bennet's study waiting for Teddy's birthday. He would get some practice writing letters to give thanks for gifts the following week.

0o0o0o0

Richard showed up just before dinner Tuesday evening. He told us Colonel Overby felt ready to take full control of the unit. Once he was released from duty Richard had sent his belongings to Netherfield while bringing himself to Longbourn.

"You told me I was welcome for dinner anytime, Aunt. I hope that is still true," he said to Aunt Bennet with a teasing grin.

"Of course it is, Richard," she told him. "I am sure Mrs. Hill had another place set at the table before you finished walking into this room."

Mrs. Hill looked into the drawing room just then. "Dinner is ready, Madam. I added a place for the colonel in case he will be staying." She did not know what to make of our laughter at this simple statement.

0o0o0o0

When Richard left that evening he carried letters for Mary, Daniel and the Gardiners. Aunt Bennet added a list of things she wanted Mary and Mrs. Gardiner to purchase for the wedding decorations. Richard would be visiting Mr. Gardiner to follow up on the investment records we had found. Carrying letters and lists with him would be no problem.

Uncle Bennet was in a good mood and even allowed us 10 minutes to ourselves in the back parlor before Richard left. We did not waste our precious private time talking. I was still too breathless for much speech when I saw him out to his horse after the inevitable cry of "Time is up, Philosopher!" I would have a good memory to write in my journal that evening.

0o0o0o0

I kept myself busy the rest of the week trying to not worry or fuss. There was no actual reason to worry about Richard's trip. He was simply going to London to resign his commission. He was not riding into battle or visiting Hazeldell House. The phrase "visiting Hazeldell" was already becoming a part of the family vocabulary meaning a ride into unexpected danger. There might be unexpected danger in the trip, but it was not likely.

I helped Kitty and Grace on the pianoforte and thought about how Richard enjoyed listening to us play. I worked with Teddy on his lessons and imagined the encouragement Richard would offer him and the jokes he might make. I sat with my knitting and remembered the small smile on Richard's face as he would sit and watch me work. I asked the cook for the use of the kitchen on Friday and baked a batch of Richard's favorite biscuits while thinking about how much he would enjoy them. He was a constant presence and yet he was not there with me in person as I so much wished he would be. It was a _very_ long week indeed.

"Will Father be back today?" Teddy asked anxiously Saturday morning as we headed out to ride.

"He said he would be unless there was a problem."

"I hope there were no problems. He said after he came back from this trip we could go riding together and if he thought I was ready he would teach me how to jump with Sooty. I miss him and I know you do too."

"Yes, Teddy, I miss him very much. I want to ride with him too. I also want to go for walks and talk about how we plan to run the estates and take the time to just enjoy each others company."

"That all sounds good. When do you think he will arrive?"

"It all depends on how early he was able to leave. If he was able to finish all his business yesterday and left at dawn today he could be here any time now. If he still had work in town today he might not get here until dinner time."

Teddy nodded in resignation, then proceeded to greet Sooty, who was just being led out by the groom. Nelly came out right after Sooty.

We rode along the path to the dower house, watching for any wildlife we might see. Teddy spotted a few rabbits, but they startled and ran off as we came closer. I was able to point out an osprey sitting on a tree branch.

"The bird looks like he is wearing a mask, Mother," Teddy laughed.

"That is how I know it is an osprey. They have that band of dark feathers across their eyes. It has probably been fishing in the river or in the lake at Netherfield."

"The bird eats fish? I thought birds ate seeds and insects."

"Birds of prey like osprey will eat fish and some small animals like mice, squirrels and rabbits. See that long curved beak and the sharp talons? They use those to help catch and eat their prey."

"That beak looks sharp all right. The rabbits are lucky we scared them away."

We made our way back to Longbourn after a good ride. I was becoming comfortable enough that we had even done a little cantering on the way back from the dower house. I was nowhere near ready to try jumping, but Teddy might be soon. I would trust Richard to know when the time was right.

As we topped the last rise on the path to the house we both spotted a familiar man riding down the drive. We waved excitedly as we called out in welcome. Richard was back!

Teddy and I trotted up to the stable, arriving at the same time as Richard. Teddy dismounted first and Richard patted his shoulder and ruffled his hair before turning to help me. As he set me on the ground he hugged me tightly followed by a quick kiss. I heard a slight snicker from the grooms as they led the horses away. It was not until I stepped a pace away from him that I noticed the black eye.

"Richard! What happened to your eye?" I asked.

Teddy laughed and said, "Were you in a fight, Father?"

"I am afraid I was, son. It only looks bad, Sophia, and I gave back better than I got."

I smacked his shoulder lightly. "Richard! Why were you in a fight at all?"

He leaned back in to kiss me on the cheek before answering soothingly. "It was really nothing, Sophia. Just a little dust up courtesy of my idiot brother's friends. It seems they heard I had inherited a little money and they wanted a piece of it. I told them I had neither the responsibility nor the desire to pay my brother's gambling debts and refused their demands. They tried to convince me otherwise but I was not impressed by their arguments."

"Oh, Richard. Will his behavior always haunt us?" I asked in frustration.

"I expect it will for some time, Dearest, however..." He was about to say more, but Grace and Lydia came out of the house to greet him, having seen his arrival through a window.

When they spotted the black eye both of them started asking about it as well. "Inside, ladies," said Richard, laughing, "I will tell the whole family about it at once."

He wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder and one around my waist and we started to head inside. Before we reached the door I stopped, having just looked down at myself.

"Richard, before we go in, I think we all three need to brush off. You were covered in dust from the road and now Teddy and I are as well."

"I will get the brush for you," said Grace, laughing at the predicament I was now in. She darted inside, followed by Lydia.

Richard gave me another quick kiss before they returned with two clothes brushes. "I _am_ glad to be back, Sophia," he said as he let go of Teddy and me and reached for one of the brushes. I took the other and dusted myself down while Richard playfully dusted Teddy in between swipes at his own clothes.

"Father, not like that!" protested Teddy as Richard dusted his cheek with the brush.

When I finished brushing myself down I handed Teddy my brush so he could revenge himself on Richard. They dusted each other back and forth while Grace, Lydia and I all laughed from inside the doorway. Mrs. Hill came up behind us, then stepped into the doorway, put her hands on her hips and with a strong warning in her tone said, "Boys! Stop this foolishness and clean up."

Richard and Teddy both stopped playing and brushed themselves down quickly saying, "Yes, ma'am." in unison as they did. Mrs. Hill winked at me. As they finished and went to hand her the brushes she gestured for them to slowly turn around so she could examine how well they had done. As they faced front again she gave them a nod, took the brushes and stepped out of the doorway, going back down the hall.

Richard chuckled as the two of them came inside. He had his right arm wrapped around Teddy's shoulder again as we all headed to the drawing room where Aunt Bennet would be waiting in her chair.

"What have you been doing, Richard?" she asked as she caught sight of his face. He let go of Teddy and walked over to kiss her cheek.

"I am fine, Aunt Bennet. I will tell you all about it, but may I please have some tea and perhaps a sandwich and some biscuits? The trip was long and dusty."

"I can see the dust, Philosopher," said Uncle Bennet from his chair. "You and Teddy forgot to clean your hands when you brushed each other off."

Richard and Teddy looked at their own hands and then at each other's. "Come on, son," said Richard. "We need to go wash our hands if we have any hope of being fed."

"We had better, Father. Mother baked your favorite biscuits yesterday."

"I need to hurry, then, or Lydia will eat them all."

"If you do not come back soon and tell us how you got that black eye I will eat every single one of them," she said with a grin.

As Teddy pulled him from the room Richard called back, "Sophia, I beg you, protect my biscuits from the ravenous fiend."

"The clock is ticking, Philosopher," Uncle Bennet said with a laugh.

A little while later Richard and Teddy sat next to me on the sofa, each with a sandwich in one hand and a biscuit in the other. A cup of tea and a small plate of biscuits for Richard and Teddy to share sat on an occasional table next to the sofa.

"I made good time to town on Wednesday," Richard said between bites. "I stopped in at Darcy House to clean up a bit, then reported to the general and handed over all the paperwork I had brought with me from the unit. I spent the afternoon there answering questions and filling out forms. They almost made me late for dinner with the Duke of Montrose."

"How is the duke?" Uncle Bennet asked. "We are working on our second game of chess after I won the first one."

"He sends his greetings and I have his next move for both you and Sophia. He is well and I had a pleasant evening with him. The duchess was out that evening, although she left word she was looking forward to meeting my wife at some point after the wedding."

"So how did you get the black eye?" Lydia asked.

"I will get there," Richard said, and very deliberately took another bite of his sandwich and slowly chewed. Lydia bounced in her seat and huffed at him, earning an admonishing look from me.

"As I was saying," Richard finally continued, "I had reported out on the unit Wednesday, but I had to go back on Thursday to officially transfer my commission and complete my resignation. I am now simply the Honorable Richard Fitzwilliam for the next month, before I take on the name Richard York."

"Am I already Teddy York?" asked Teddy.

"Yes, son. There was no need for you to ever be a Fitzwilliam. I was certainly wishing I did not have the name when I left the War Office that afternoon. I passed by one of the clubs my brother used to frequent and was recognized by a group of his creditors. They accosted me and asked when I planned to pay off my brother's debts since they had heard about my inheritance from my aunt. I told them I had disowned both father and brother and had no legal or moral obligation to pay any debts they left behind when they fled the country. I tried to walk away but they wanted a fight. I defended myself and landed a fit good hits before one of them snuck in the blow that caused the black eye. I was still in uniform and a few of my former fellows came up and took my part at the same time a few others from the club decided it was not in their best interest to have a brawl outside their doors. The fight broke up and as I told Sophia earlier, I gave better than I got."

"Will you continue to have trouble with them?" asked Kitty.

"Somehow I do not think so. I may have mentioned their names to the Duke of Montrose the next day and he might be dealing with their families," said Richard with a wicked grin.

"Did you visit with the duke a second time, then?" asked Aunt Bennet.

"Yes, actually yesterday was a very busy day. The duke sent me a note on Thursday afternoon telling me to call on him Friday morning wearing the best clothes I had available. Fortunately Will and I are close enough in size I was able to borrow some items from those he leaves at Darcy House. When I arrived at the duke's home he looked me up and down, said I would do despite the eye and had me board _his_ carriage. He took me to a private location I am not to mention, where we met with the Prince Regent. He was very pleased with the gift of the chair, it seems. He offered me his thanks and sends his compliments to you, Sophia. He insisted I request a boon. After a little thought I told him I had separated myself from my father and brother and that I would be taking York as my name as part of my marriage settlement. I asked if he could make it known that I was in no way to be held accountable for the debts my father and brother left behind them. He said it would be made official. The request seemed appropriate considering the fight I was in. It would have been rude not to ask for anything at all. I think he was relived I did not ask for anything complicated."

"So the Prince Regent will tell people you are not responsible for your brother's debts?" asked Lydia.

"He said he would make it official. I can only take that to mean that some form of communication will go out. The Duke of Montrose has the list of creditors from when Darcy and I were investigating last December. I do not know what form that communication will take, but _something_ will happen."

"That is excellent news," I said. "I have been afraid they would still find a way to hold you responsible for those debts."

"Thanks to Aunt Catherine's chair and your idea we no longer need to worry about that," Richard said with a grin. "I also visited with the Gardiners on Thursday. He had a man looking into those investments for me. The investigator recommends I sell out of all three. I authorized Gardiner to find me a buyer and told him to take a commission on the sale. Burrows and Mary joined me at the Gardiner's for dinner Thursday night and I passed on all the letters you sent. I have a packet in return, but I put it in with the items I had a carter bring from town to Netherfield. I made a few purchases and could not fit everything on the horse. I will bring them with me tomorrow since I will ride to services and here in the carriage with the Bingleys."

"Are there any letters for me, Father?" Teddy asked.

"I think there might be one from the doctor and possibly one each from the Gardiner boys."

"And you will definitely bring them tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

"May I have another biscuit, Father?"

"Now _that_ is a more difficult question," said Richard with a grin as he picked up the small plate and held it over his head. "After all, your mother made these for _me_."

"Richard," I said reprovingly, trying not to grin back as I elbowed him gently.

"Oh, very well," he said with a mock sigh. "Your mother says I must share." He handed two biscuits to Teddy.

"Thank you, Mother," Teddy said to me with a smile. He and Richard winked at each other as they both took a bite of a biscuit to the sound of Uncle Bennet's laughter.


	85. Chapter 85

When Richard stepped out of the Bingley carriage outside the church he looked every inch the prosperous landowner. He either had some clothes at Darcy house already, had visited a tailor who sold clothing ready to wear or he had borrowed some of his cousin's clothes. I had not seen him look quite so well-dressed in civilian clothes before, and not in this particular outfit. As he approached the church, many people had to look twice or even thrice to recognize him without the uniform.

Teddy and I went to join him. I smiled as I took the arm Richard offered. Before I could say anything about the clothes, Aunt Bennet said the words for me.

"Oh, Richard, you look so handsome in that outfit."

He gave a courtly bow. "Thank you, Aunt Bennet. You look very fine today yourself." She blushed and smiled.

Uncle Bennet took her arm and in a low but teasing tone said, "Flirting with my wife, Philosopher? For shame. Look to your own lady."

"I should like nothing better than to look to my own lady all day," Richard answered in a similar tone. He and Uncle Bennet shared a wink.

"Behave yourself, Richard," I said softly.

"Now where is the fun in that?" he asked lightly at volume only Teddy and I could hear.

"Father," said Teddy, "you know you have to behave in church or mother will make you stay home."

"True enough, Teddy. I shall behave. I do not want to leave your mother here with all these soldiers. She may find she misses being on the arm of a man with a red coat."

"As long as it is your arm, Richard, I do not care what color the coat may be," I told him very seriously.

"I am so glad to hear that, Dearest Sophia," he said softly. "I dressed with extra care today because it is hitting hard to realize I am not a soldier anymore."

"You are always a soldier, my love, uniform or no. You are just taking on a new type of duty and a new assignment."

"If we were not walking into church, my dearest one, I would pull you into my arms and kiss you soundly," he said in a voice so soft I could barely hear him.

I leaned slightly against his arm the rest of the way to the Bennet family pews. As we took our place I could hear a little hum of gossip starting up over the absence of his uniform. No one had a chance to speak with us before services due to the timing of our arrival. I knew the subject was sure to come up after.

As we began to leave the church after services I saw several people head our way. Before any of them approached Colonel Overby, who had been seated nearby, made the announcement in a way I felt certain had been agreed on in advance by the two men.

"Mr. Fitzwilliam," he said in a loud greeting. "I am glad to see you made it safely back from town. Is your commission sold now?"

"I completed the sale on Thursday," answered Richard in a carrying voice. "The general accepted my resignation and I am now a civilian."

"The men are sorry to lose you. You did good work with the unit here. I am sure you will bring the same expertise to your estate."

"Thank you, Colonel. I hope to do well by my estate and my family."

Colonel Overby moved on and the whispering voices swirled around us as we made our way out of the building. Sir William Lucas was the first to actually approach.

"Colonel. Miss York. It is good to see you. Capital!"

"It is Mr. Fitzwilliam now," corrected Richard, "At least, it is until the wedding when I become Mr. York."

"Ah, yes. That is right," said Sir William, "It is in the marriage settlement if I remember correctly? You will take the name of York?"

"Exactly, Sir William. I will be proud to be known as Mr. Richard York."

"So you are no longer in the Army, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"

"No, as you probably heard, I sold my commission and resigned last Thursday. This way I am free to prepare for the wedding and deal with my responsibilities to my property while Colonel Overby will take the unit to their summer quarters."

"Capital. My Charlotte told me they are heading to Brighton at the end of next week. So, will you be staying here?"

"Yes, I am currently a guest at Netherfield again."

"Ah, yes. Capital. You stayed with Mr. Bingley last December, before all those problems with the smugglers."

"Yes, Sir William. That is correct."

"And Miss York, you must be looking forward to the wedding. Only a month away, is it?"

"We will marry on the first of June, Sir William. I am hoping Charlotte may be able to attend, although I will understand if she and the Lieutenant cannot leave the unit for a visit so soon."

"Yes, yes. We will miss them. I am thinking of taking the family to Brighton for a visit this summer. Charlotte can show us around a bit. But it looks as if the Bingleys are ready to leave. I will let you go. Good day, Colonel...I mean, Mr. Fitzwilliam."

"Thank you, Sir William. A good day to you too."

Charles and Jane were motioning us over, although I could not tell if they were trying to save us from Sir William or really were impatient to leave. Since Sir William was slightly deaf the second conversation had also been held at loud volume. The gossips now had all the information they needed. Before the day was out everyone in Meryton would know Colonel Fitzwilliam was now a civilian and would be changing his name to York when he married.

Richard, Teddy and I rode with the Bingleys back to Longbourn. After we settled in the carriage Teddy asked, "Did you bring my letters, Father?"

Richard took a packet from a pocket on the inside wall of the carriage. "Right here, son," he said waving it a bit.

"May I have my letters, please?" Teddy pleaded.

"When we get to Longbourn, in the drawing room, then you can have them," Richard said.

"Yes, Father," said Teddy with a sigh. He started looking out the window to see how soon we would reach Longbourn.

I just smiled at Richard. I was so glad to have him back. No one else said a word when I leaned my head against his shoulder. In fact, Jane mirrored my movement to lean against Charles. Teddy may have thought the trip far too long, but I thought it was far too short.

Richard carried the packet in with him. When we had settled in our usual places he answered Teddy's pleading look by saying, "Letters first, I think."

From the packet he withdrew a thick letter he had Teddy carry to Aunt Bennet. A second thick letter went to Uncle Bennet, followed by two rather thin letters each to Jane, Kitty, Lydia, Grace and me. Finally came three letters for Teddy, who sat on the floor by my feet to read.

"Mrs. Gardiner wrote to me," exclaimed Grace in surprise. "She says she has been happy to hear of my friendship with Kitty and Lydia. She welcomes me as her newest niece and looks forward to meeting me when they arrive for the wedding."

"She has also welcomed me as a niece," I told the company. "She said she had already come to look on Richard as another of her nephews and she has liked me from the first time we met. She adds that she was fascinated by the story of Lady Catherine's throne accompanied by all the descriptions of Rosings and hopes that we might invite her family to visit there some time. Her sons would like to continue their acquaintance with Teddy as well and she will be happy to have them exchange letters."

"I like Edward and Franklin," Teddy said. "We had fun playing in the snow with Father and Cousin Will and Cousin Charles. We had fun playing with the soldiers in the nursery too."

"Have you read their letters yet?" I asked.

"I just finished the letter from Cousin Daniel. He says he does still use his Latin. When he was in school he did not really like learning it at first. He was got in trouble sometimes because he would not do his exercises. After he studied more he found it was easy and now it is just like English to him. He told me if I work hard and do all my exercises then one day it will suddenly feel easy to me too."

"He is correct," said Uncle Bennet. "Greek will be the same way. At first it will look very strange, but once you learn to read it you will hardly notice you are not reading English."

Teddy nodded. "Then I will do my exercises and study hard." He folded up the first letter and picked up the next, leaning back to rest his head against my legs as he started to read.

Aunt Bennet shared news that Mary and Mrs. Gardiner would find all the things she requested for the wedding decorations and bring them along when they traveled to Longbourn on the 27th. There would be plenty of time to set everything up in the ballroom before the wedding. Aunt Bennet's packet had also contained some fabric swatches Aunt Bennet had requested, which is why it was thick.

"Brother Gardiner may have found a new governess for Kitty and Lydia," Uncle Bennet announced. "With the substantial improvement in their behavior the search required different criteria than last time. He has two candidates he thinks may work. He will bring them along when the Gardiners come for the wedding so we may interview them both and make our choice. Sophia, will you assist with the interviews?"

"Of course, Uncle. If both of them are qualified and to our liking, Richard and I may retain one of them for Grace while you hire the other."

"You are proof Gardiner knows how to choose well. If he is offering two choices then it may just come down to who has the better personality for Longbourn," Uncle Bennet stated.

"May we help with the interviews?" Lydia asked.

"We will give all three of you a chance to speak with them both and will take your opinions into consideration, although I will make the final decision," answered Uncle Bennet.

Lydia smiled and said, "Thank you, Papa." The other two echoed her thanks.

"Do I need a governess?" asked Teddy. "I have Mother and _she_ was a governess."

We all chuckled. Richard responded, "You are old enough not to need a governess and you _do_ have your mother. Mrs. Phipps will look after you when we return to Rosings. At some point we will probably find you a tutor to help with your studies when your mother is no longer comfortable overseeing the subjects boys usually learn."

"I am glad Mrs. Phipps will look after me. I like her."

"What did your other letters say?" I asked him.

"Father told them what I am studying. Edward says he has just started Latin. It is a bit confusing. He likes it better when his father takes him to the office and he gets to see how his father's business is run."

"Mr. Gardiner is teaching his son about the business the way I will teach you to run an estate," said Richard.

Teddy nodded. "Edward says he will inherit the business someday and he wants to be good at running it. Franklin says he is studying writing and math. He likes math and is working on fractions now. What are fractions?"

"Fractions are used when you describe parts of things," I answered. "You can cut a pie into eight slices, for instance, and each slice is described as one eighth of the pie. There are special ways to add, subtract, multiply and divide groups of fractions."

"Hmm," said Teddy. "I think I understand. I am not ready to work on fractions yet, am I?"

"Not yet, son," said Richard. "You will be soon."

Teddy nodded again. "Edward and Franklin said they are coming to visit with their parents and they hope we can play ball again. May I stay in the nursery with them when they come, like I did at Christmas?"

"I think that will be fine," I said, "as long as all three of you remember to be careful around Bethany. She is younger and could get hurt if you play too hard around her."

"Yes, Mother," said Teddy with another smile. He leaned back against me and set to work re-reading all three of his letters. I reached down and smoothed his hair. Richard bumped lightly against my shoulder and smiled at us both. Kitty, Lydia and Grace were watching us and giggled softly together on seeing our affectionate gestures. I had a feeling Grace would be lonely when she could no longer spend all her time with Kitty and Lydia. Her letter writing skills would get a great deal of practice after the wedding.

After luncheon Richard and I went out with Teddy for a walk followed by a short game of ball. He wanted to play ball tag like he had done with the boys at Rosings. I told him I was still not very good at throwing or catching and if you added running I was out of my depth. Richard removed his jacket and did a little running and throwing with Teddy while I stood to the side and watched.

I helped Richard back into his coat after they finished their play. Teddy was still excited and ran ahead of us as we slowly went back to the house.

"I plan to speak with Bingley about Myrtleridge this evening," Richard told me. "It was a little too late when I returned yesterday and before services was not a good time. It takes Bingley a while to wake up in the mornings." We both chuckled.

"Did Will provide you with a description of the house? Jane will probably be interested in that before she will consider going to visit."

"My cousin did better than that, although he may have been prompted by Elizabeth. He sent several sketches of the house and grounds in a letter that was waiting for me when I returned from London. It is a nice looking place. If Bingley decides not to purchase it will definitely be a dowry for one of the girls."

"Was there any news on the other two?"

"Will plans to head out to visit them tomorrow. Elizabeth will go with him, but Georgie will stay at Pemberley with Mrs. Annesley. He plans the trip to last three or four days."

"I am curious about what they will find. Not just whether or not the steward has been cheating, but what the estates look like. I want to know if Castlemere is next to a lake and whether Eldenhall is an old hall or a new house. I am interested in which breeds of sheep are at each estate and what quality wool they produce. The records told us little more than numbers."

"I am sure Elizabeth will gather that kind of detail for you while Will looks at the business side of things."

Teddy ran back to us. "Are you ready to go inside now? You are walking slower than the ponies for Mother's phaeton."

Richard reached out and ruffled Teddy's hair. "We had things to discuss so we were moving slowly. Why are you so excited to go back in?"

"I wanted to make an outline of what to write to Edward and Franklin. Uncle Bennet said I was not allowed to leave you two alone together outside. Why not?"

"Uncle Bennet is afraid if you leave the two of us alone together we will spend too much time doing this." Richard pulled me close and kissed me soundly as Teddy laughed at us both.

0o0o0o0

We had managed to keep the planned celebration for Teddy's birthday a surprise from him, although I almost gave it away when I suggested he wait to write his letters because he might have more to say on the following day. Richard saved me from my blunder by reminding Teddy he would have more to say after his next lessons.

In truth, I do not think Teddy was aware Monday was his birthday. Mrs. Hill told me there had been very little fuss over the day in the past. She would have cook give him some biscuits and Mr. Bennet usually arranged for a new suit of clothes. This year would be quite the change.

By mutual agreement no one in the household mentioned Teddy's birthday until mid-morning when Richard arrived on Old Satan, followed by the Bingleys in their carriage. Teddy ran out to greet them while I followed a little more sedately.

"You came on Old Satan, Father! Does this mean we get to go for a ride?" he asked excitedly as he approached to pat the big horse's nose.

"A little later, son. First we are having a family meeting," said Richard as he dismounted. He patted the horse's shoulder before tossing the reins to the groom. "You will see your friend again in a little while."

"We had a family meeting yesterday after services. Did something new happen?" Teddy asked, patting the horse's side as the groom led him away.

"Not exactly something new, but we do have an important reason for meeting."

"What reason is that, Father?"

"It is a special day," said Richard. I had joined them now and Richard greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.

"Why is it special?" Teddy asked.

"Because it is your birthday!" said Charles happily as he and Jane walked up to join us. A footman followed them carrying a few packages.

"Oh," said Teddy. I could tell he was not sure why that counted as special.

"Happy birthday, Teddy," said Jane as she gave him a kiss on the cheek followed by a quick hug.

"Thank you, Cousin Jane," he said, still sounding unsure.

Richard laughed. "Come inside, Teddy. We will show you how today is special."

Teddy gave a little shrug and accompanied us inside. Charles could not control his grin and Richard looked as if he would laugh out loud again. We went to the drawing room, followed by the footman with the packages. The footman placed his burden on a side table decorated with a number of other packages. He gave Teddy a nod and said, "Happy birthday, young sir," before leaving the room. I saw him grin as he headed down the hall.

Teddy only became more bewildered as every female member of the family gave him a kiss on the cheek, a hug and wished him happy birthday. His bewilderment increased when Uncle Bennet, Richard Charles all clapped him on the back while offering the same wish. Then Mrs. Hill entered with a tea tray that included a number of small sweet cakes and a variety of biscuits along with the tea and a glass of milk for Teddy.

"Happy birthday, young Teddy!" she said gaily as she set it down on the table.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill," he said. "Are we having tea now?"

"What we are having, Teddy," announced Richard, "is a birthday celebration. Today is your ninth birthday."

Teddy smiled. That sounded like a good enough thing to him. Of course, the prospect of cakes and biscuits were good too.

"Here is a math question for you, son," said Richard. "What is two times nine?"

"I know that one," Teddy said eagerly. "It is eighteen."

"Correct," said Richard with an answering grin. "Now, when a boy turns eighteen years old people start thinking of him as a man. Here is a fraction for you. Since two times nine equals eighteen, nine is equal to _one half_ of eighteen. That means today you are one half of the way to being considered a man."

"Is that good, Father?" Teddy asked.

Richard laughed out loud again. "Yes, son. It is good. Even better, because today is your birthday and you are part of a family again, today you get presents."

"Presents?" asked Teddy with a little more excitement. "Are the biscuits and cakes presents?"

" _They_ are part of the celebration and are for everyone. The presents are those packages on the table. Shall we start with our tea and each have a few biscuits or some cakes and then you can see what is in the packages?"

"Yes, Father," he said with the most excitement he had shown yet.

Kitty got up to pour the tea, which Grace passed to each person in turn. Mrs. Hill brought round the tray with the plates, biscuits and cakes. Richard moved the little occasional table from the spot next to the sofa to stand in front of our usual seat. We had Teddy sit between us on the sofa instead of his favorite spot on the floor by my feet. Mrs. Hill offered Teddy first pick of the treats and he chose a small cake and two biscuits.

We all enjoyed the baked goods and our tea. Richard and Teddy finished their selections at about the same time. The both looked at the plates empty of everything but a few crumbs with almost the same sad expressions, then Richard brightened. "Presents!" he said happily. Teddy used his fingertip to pick up and eat the crumbs from his and Richard's plates while Richard went to the table and plucked a package from it.

"Here is one to start with," he said, handing the paper wrapped package to Teddy. "Open it up, but careful with that paper. You can use that to draw on later."

Teddy untied the bow in the twine that held the package together. He opened the wrapping to find a handkerchief and book. A note sat on top of the handkerchief. Teddy read it out loud.

"Happy birthday, Teddy, with love from Kitty"

He picked up the handkerchief and saw the TY next to an embroidered horse's head. "TY for Teddy York?" he asked.

"Yes, Teddy," said Kitty. "You needed some handkerchiefs that are all your own."

"Thank you, Kitty. I needed a new handkerchief. I will not lose this one because it has my initials and Sooty's head on it." he said as he put the handkerchief in his pocket. He then opened the book and started to leaf through the pages. "It has pictures! Look, there is fox like the one we saw at Rosings. And this one is a bear. Is the book really mine, Kitty?"

"It is all for you, Teddy. Look inside the front cover."

Teddy turned back to the front cover. There he found the inscription:

Teddy York

May 4, 1812

Happy Birthday with love from Kitty

Teddy closed the book and hugged it to him. Richard went over and plucked another random package from the table. I offered to set the book and wrapping paper beside me on the sofa while Richard handed him the next package to unwrap. This one was small and contained another handkerchief and a note.

"Happy birthday, Teddy. Your present was too large to wrap. Up in the nursery you will find a hoop and stick to play with in the yard. Here is a handkerchief with your initials on it. With love from your sister, Grace," Teddy read out. "Hooray! A hoop and stick! Thank you, Grace!" He opened the handkerchief and saw his initials inside a hoop crossed with a stick.

I set the paper and handkerchief to the side while Richard handed him the next present. Before too long we had a nice pile there. He opened the slate from Lydia that also had a sponge eraser, a few of the wrapped chalk pencils from her set and the handkerchief with his initials. Charles gave him a bag of marbles. The shooter was one Charles had kept from when he was a boy. My wooden horses were joined by a set of carved wooden animals from Richard, including some hounds to run alongside the horses and a selection of wild creatures. He received clothing as well. Mrs. Hill had sewn him a new set of clothes for every day. Aunt and Uncle Bennet gave him riding clothes.

"I noticed your clothes are wearing out a bit with all the riding you are doing, Teddy," said Uncle Bennet with a smile. "Wear those when you are riding so you other new clothes will last a little longer."

By the time Teddy had opened all his presents he looked more bemused than he had before we came inside. He had so many new things he did not know what to look at first. Richard took charge. Removing the last gift from Teddy's unresisting hands he passed it to me and went to get the tray of treats.

"I think you need another biscuit, son," he said briskly, "or perhaps a cake." He offered the tray for Teddy to pick something.

Teddy took a biscuit and very quietly nibbled at it. He snuggled up next to me as he ate and I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and held him gently. Richard passed the tray around so everyone else could have another treat as well. Charles looked a little confused at Teddy's reaction, but the others seemed to realize he was simply overwhelmed.

Mrs. Hill had left the room after Teddy opened her gift. Now she returned.

"Mr. Bennet, there is a man here to see you about young Teddy." She handed Uncle Bennet a card.

"Ebenezer Baines, Solicitor," he read. "I do not know him. Well, send him in Hill."

She returned shortly with a short, slightly portly man who looked to be in his early forties. We all rose to greet him, although I kept my arm around Teddy's shoulder.

"Good day," he said. "I apologize if I have interrupted a celebration. Is this young Thaddeus Simons?" he asked, looking at Teddy.

Teddy took a step forward and bowed the way Richard had taught him. "My full name is Thaddeus James Simons York, sir. I have been adopted."

"Hmm, then what I heard at the church was true. Interesting that you have been adopted by a York."

"What difference does that make, sir?" asked Richard.

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Ebenezer Baines. I have been tracking down the current heir to the estate of Stone Landing since the death of the last owner, Lord Willoughby."

"We are aware of that situation, sir. I am Richard Fitzwilliam and this is my fiance, Miss Sophia York, daughter of Damien York, the last Viscount Stone."

Mr. Baines bowed to me. Richard then introduced the others in the room. Mr. Baines then turned back to me.

"Miss York, are you aware of the entail that was on your late father's estate?" he asked.

"I could hardly _not_ be aware of it, sir, when Lord Willoughby used it to dispossess all the female members of my family of any funds my father intended for our upkeep," I said rather tartly.

"Ah, yes. I apologize for bringing that up. It was poorly done of him and I remember our firm remonstrating with him on the point to no avail. Lord Willoughby died without any direct heirs as you may know. The entail on Stone Landing is separate from the entail on his own family estate and title, which will be inherited by one of his cousins. The entail on Stone Landing specified the next line of inheritance to follow should Lord Willoughby die without heirs. I have been tracking the members of that line. The next named individual is a cousin of your father, Abraham James Simons, now deceased. His elder son would be next, however, Mr. Theodore Simons passed away two years ago leaving all his property to the son of his younger brother. The younger brother, James Abraham Simons, was also known to be deceased, but the solicitor in charge of handling Mr. Theodore Simons' estate had not really attempted to find the son of Mr. James Simons."

Uncle Bennet perked up at the name. He clearly knew Mr. Baines referred to Teddy's father. The solicitor continued, "It was known the younger Mr. Simons had moved with his family to Hertfordshire, but not exactly where. The legacy from the elder Mr. Simons was simply a small house which has been leased out with the profits placed in a trust fund for whenever the solicitor decided to finish his research. I gained access to the elder Mr. Simons' letters and determined the younger brother had become a tenant on the estate of Longbourn near the village of Meryton. I visited the church this morning and discovered records of the christening of the son, Thaddeus James Simons. The vicar informed me that Mr. Bennet had assumed care of the child after the death of his parents and mentioned the boy had been adopted recently. I came here to confirm this boy is the son of James Abraham Simons."

"He is," said Uncle Bennet. "Mr. James Simons was my tenant until his death due to illness. Thaddeus, who we call Teddy, has lived at Longbourn ever since. In addition to the vicar, who has known the boy all his life, our housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, can testify to his identity. She assisted the midwife who brought him into the world and has played a major role in his care since the death of his parents."

"The records and personal evidence should be good enough for legal purposes. In addition to the small property left to him by Mr. Theodore Simons, young Thaddeus is the heir to the estate of Stone Landing under the terms of the entail. I regret to say the estate is not in what one would call a flourishing condition."

"No surprise there," grumbled Richard.

The solicitor nodded. "I had intended to work with Mr. Bennet. However if Thaddeus has been adopted, I will need to work with his guardian. Will that be you, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"

"Yes, Mr. Baines. I already consider myself Teddy's guardian. He has taken the York family name in advance of the wedding. As part of the settlement I will also become a York as of June the first."

"Very good, sir. You understand that legally he retains the name of Simons until he comes of age? Only then can _he_ choose to change his legal name."

"Yes, sir. I am aware of that. However, there is no harm in him using the name he has already chosen. It will simply become legal when he reaches adulthood."

The solicitor nodded. "I will contact you with the specifics required for the transfer of the property, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I thank you for your time. I will leave you all to your celebration now. May one ask the occasion?"

"It is Teddy's ninth birthday today, Mr. Baines," answered Richard. "As for contacting me, I am staying at the nearby estate of Netherfield until the wedding. After that our family can be found at the estate of Rosings Park in Kent."

Mr. Baines gave a general bow to the company. "I will be in touch." He turned to Teddy and added, "I wish you a happy birthday, young Thaddeus."

Teddy bowed in return and said, "Thank you, sir."

Mr. Baines left and we all looked at one another in surprise. We might need another family meeting to discuss the situation later. I felt as bemused by the news as Teddy had by his pile of presents.

My adopted son was the legal heir to my father's estate.

* * *

 _AN:_ _I have been planning that Teddy would be heir to Stone Landing since long before Willoughby's death, in fact almost from the start of the story. I had just not planned on Mr. Baines finding him so soon. Yet as poor Teddy sat stunned by having a birthday celebration it suddenly seemed the right moment for the scene I had already imagined. Had anyone noticed I had never suggested one of the nine estates for Teddy?_

 _BTW:_ _Here's a_ _n amusing_ _quote from Wikipedia about the hoop and stick game (I recommend the entire article. It was a fun read) "Not only schoolboys, but even graduate students at Cambridge enjoyed trundling hoops after their lectures. The practice, however, was brought to an end sometime before 1816, by means of a statute that forbade Masters of Arts to roll hoops or play marbles" Poor Teddy will not be able to use his hoop or his new marbles at University if he becomes a graduate student,_ _at least not at Cambridge. I wonder what the rules were at Oxford?_ _:oD_


	86. Chapter 86

After Mr. Baines left everyone was really too stunned to say much. While I tried to organize my own thoughts I did the same for the pile of presents, setting aside the wrapping paper for Teddy to draw on later and making small piles of the other items. Teddy sat next to me, holding one of the wooden horses. He was still very quiet. I realized what we both needed was a little time away.

I whispered to Richard that I would take Teddy up to the nursery for a while. I stood and asked Teddy if he would come with me, then excused us both to the company. As we went upstairs and into the nursery I held Teddy's hand. Once there, I sat in the rocking chair by the window and drew Teddy onto my lap. He curled up against me as I gently rocked us both.

"It has been a strange day," I said to him after a time.

"Yes, Mother. I liked the presents, but there were so many of them."

"We all love you Teddy. We wanted you to have a very special day, but everyone was so excited about giving you presents we forgot that you are not used to having your birthday celebrated or having a great number of things. You do not have to play with everything at once. No one will be upset with you if you put some of the toys away and use them later."

"All the packages had good things I liked. I want to play with them or use them." He pulled the handkerchief from Kitty out of his pocket, looked at the embroidered horse, then rubbed it against his cheek before putting his hands in his lap and leaning back against me.

"I never had a handkerchief with my initials on it before. I saw Kitty working on making Sooty's head but I did not know she was doing it for me. It is like what Father said about the socks you knit for us. Every time I look at it I know someone loves me. My sister made one too and Lydia and Cousin Jane."

He went silent, patting the handkerchief in his hand. I waited for him to gather his thoughts. After a little while he said, "Why are birthdays supposed to be special, Mother?"

"Your birthday marks the day you came into this world, the day of your birth. When we celebrate your birthday what we are really celebrating is that you are here with us. The day of your birth is a reminder of how lucky we are to have you in our lives. It also marks a change in your age. Like your father said, after you have enough birthdays people stop thinking of you as a boy and start thinking of you as a man. Men have different privileges and responsibilities than boys. It is the same for girls. Your sister and younger cousins are all at an age when they are shifting from being girls to being ladies. Some of that change is how many birthdays you have had and some of it is how you behave. That is why Kitty and Lydia needed a governess. They had celebrated enough birthdays, but they did not know how to behave correctly to be considered ladies. They have learned a great deal since I came and they will learn even more from the new governess."

"So will a tutor help me learn to behave as a man?"

"If we choose the correct tutor he will help you with your schoolwork _and_ give you a model of how a proper man behaves. I think you will learn even more by watching your father and all your male cousins. Each one of them is different but they are all good men."

Teddy nodded. "Mother, what did the man mean when he talked about all the people named Simons and about tails on the stone land? It made you upset and I do not know why."

"I was more surprised than upset, Teddy. He was talking about something called an entailment, not about tails. An entailment involves how property can be used and inherited. For instance, there is an entailment on Longbourn that says Uncle Bennet is not allowed to sell the property or give it to anyone. When he dies the property has to go to the next person listed on the entailment. That used to be Mr. Collins, but now we are not sure who it is. If Aunt Bennet has a son, then the boy becomes the next person on the list."

"Why does she have to have a son?"

"Because that is the way the Longbourn entailment is written; only a boy can inherit, not a girl. Rosings did not have an entailment, so Sir Lewis de Bourgh could leave the estate to anyone he chose. He decided to leave it to his daughter and if his daughter had no children then it would go to Richard. My father's estate is called Stone Landing. It has an entailment on it. My father did not have any sons; he just had Grace and me. The entailment said that if there were no sons the estate became the property of the next man on the list of relatives. That next man was Lord Willoughby."

"The bad man?"

"Yes. When Lord Willoughby died the estate then had to go to the _next_ person on the list. That is what Mr. Baines was talking about. The next man after Lord Willoughby was your grandfather, the man named Abraham Simons."

"I did not know I had a grandfather."

"Everyone has two grandfathers. One is their father's father. The other is their mother's father. Not everyone gets to meet their grandfathers or their grandmothers, but they have them all the same. Your grandfather is dead, so the next person on the list was his oldest son, but he was dead too. After him came your first father."

"Only he is dead," added Teddy.

"Which leaves _you_ as the next person on the list to be the owner of Stone Landing."

"Stone Landing belonged to your father. Can I give it to you?"

"The entailment does not let you do that. Stone Landing is _your_ inheritance, just like Rosings Park is Richard's. It is a big responsibility. Your father will help you run it until you are a man."

"In nine years?"

"If you are ready then, although he will probably wait until you are at least twenty-one years old because that is when the law says you are an adult."

"How many years is that?"

"You are nine years old now. What is twenty-one minus nine?

Teddy thought for a moment and I could see him moving his fingers like he was counting them in his head. "Twelve," he said.

"Correct. You will be considered an adult by the law in twelve years."

"That sounds like a very long time."

"It is. Twelve years will give you time to learn how to run an estate and be a good master. It will also give Richard and Will time to solve some of the problems Lord Willoughby left behind."

"What kind of problems, Mother?"

"He did not care about the house, the lands or any of the tenants. Instead he took what money he could and spent it or gambled with it. Many of the tenants have left, so there is no one to plant the crops or look after the animals if any sheep or cattle are left. Just like the estates Lady Catherine took over, we will need to find a good steward and fix anything that needs fixing so new tenants can be found and the land can be made prosperous again. Then you will have a good estate to pass on to your son if you have one someday."

"Father is getting a lot of practice at that."

"Yes, he is."

"Can I help him?"

"You can help him best now by doing your studies and just being a good son. As you grow older he will be able to give you tasks to do which will help you learn how to run the estate while helping him not have so much work to do."

"I want to be a good son."

"You already are, Teddy. Just keep being who you are and you will be fine. We all love you, even if we do give you too many presents."

Teddy laughed a little and I joined in. As we went quiet I heard footsteps in the hall. Richard came in carrying Teddy's new riding clothes.

"Are you both feeling better?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, Father. Mother and I talked about the birthday presents and the entailment on her father's estate. I want to help you fix it like you are fixing all the estates Lady Catherine had."

"I am sure you will help me. For now, though, I think it is time for that ride I promised you. Sophia, will you join us?"

"I will be happy to. I need to go put on my riding habit."

"While you do that I will help Teddy put on _his_ new riding clothes."

Teddy smiled. "I have real riding clothes just like you, Father." He slid off my lap and I stood up and stretched a bit.

"I will meet you by the stable as soon as I have changed clothes," I told them both. I gave Richard a quick hug before I walked out the door and headed to my room.

Grace was waiting in the hall near my bedroom. "Sophia, Richard said you were going to go riding with Teddy. May I come with you as well? It would be our first family ride."

"Go put your habit on, then head down to the stable. I told Richard and Teddy I would meet them there."

She smiled and quickly ducked into her bedroom. I went to change my clothes as well.

0o0o0o0

Teddy was happy to see Grace join us for the ride. He also recognized it would be our first ride as a family.

"How are you feeling with your riding, Grace?" Richard asked as we waited for the grooms to bring out the horses.

"Lydia and Jane have helped me feel comfortable on Tawny," she said. "I am probably not very good yet, but I enjoy riding."

"Do you mind if I make suggestions while we ride to help you improve?" Richard asked us both.

"I hoped you would, Richard," said Grace. "Teddy enjoyed having you teach him and Lydia said you helped her do better too."

"I am afraid I have been neglecting you, little sister," Richard said with a smile. "I will be able to spend more time with all three of you now, although Lydia will be mad at me if I do not go to Thornapple as planned on Wednesday."

"She is very impatient to hear about the estate," Grace agreed. "She found a book on raising horses when we went to town last week and has been reading it every chance she gets. She wants to help you run the estate."

"She already has been a big help. The reports the three of you prepared with Uncle Bennet gave me a good idea of what to look for when I visit each estate. Will said the one for Myrtleridge was very complete and Mr. Archer believes we will go in fully prepared using the report Lydia did for Thornapple."

The grooms came out leading three of the horses. Old Satan came out leading his groom. Clearly he was ready for a good ride. Teddy greeted Old Satan and Sooty by excitedly telling the horses that he had real riding clothes. Neither animal seemed very impressed, but I was glad to see Teddy recovering his cheerful attitude. Richard seemed to feel the same. He winked at me as he gently clapped Teddy on the shoulder.

"Do not just tell them about the clothes, son. Now it is time to put them to their proper use."

We all mounted our horses and settled ourselves in the saddles. I had practiced enough recently that I no longer forgot to keep a good grip on the pommel. Grace had done the same. We both sat firm and confident, with Grace on Tawny and me on Nelly.

Richard led us on a good long ride on the lanes and through the grazing lands around Longbourn. He had tips for all three of us to help us work better with our horses. I had already noticed what a patient teacher he could be and I appreciated the way he approached his suggestions and the clarity of his instructions. I felt I was being guided, not ordered to improve.

When we found a downed tree near one of the lanes Richard even taught us how to jump. The bare portion of the trunk only stood a little over a foot high, so it was not frightening. Richard told us he would demonstrate the correct technique. He headed Old Satan to the log, but instead of jumping the horse just stepped right over it. The second time Richard had him approach, Old Satan decided to turn away when he got almost to the log. Teddy nearly fell out of his saddle for laughing when I said I was not seeing very much in the way of proper technique. Richard started laughing as well, then leaned down and said something to his horse.

I do not know if whatever Richard said to Old Satan helped, but the third time he made a run at the log the horse soared up and over in a jump that would have cleared five or six times the height of the so-called obstacle. We had all been watching closely to see what Old Satan would do, so we did catch the demonstration of technique.

Richard then had us approach the log one at a time and talked us through our first jumps. We made a little circular parade as we followed each other through several jumps. We all had a good laugh on one of my turns when Nelly decided to copy Old Satan and just stepped over the log. Even Old Satan seemed to be snickering. Richard had me go back from the other side and correct my handling of the horse.

By the time we were done I felt fairly comfortable with the jump. I would not be trying anything very high in the near future. In fact, I did not intend to try jumping at all unless Richard was there to guide me. It was an accomplishment all the same.

We returned to Longbourn pleased with our time together as a family. Looking at Teddy I thought our ride may have been the best birthday present he received. He also seemed to have come to terms with the idea of having so many new possessions.

When we rejoined the extended family Teddy thanked Aunt and Uncle Bennet for the riding clothes.

"I liked wearing my new clothes for our ride," he said. "We were all dressed right and Father taught us how to jump."

"What did you jump over?" Lydia asked, looking like she might feel a pout coming on.

"A tree fell down by the lane. Father wanted to show us how to jump but Old Satan did not want to. He just stepped over the tree trunk. Nelly copied him later on during one of Mother's turns. It was funny." He laughed at the memory.

"You will get your turn jumping, Lydia," said Richard. "We will make sure both you and Kitty get a chance at that tree trunk, but you will _not_ try without your father or me along. Is that clear?" he asked in a very firm voice

"Yes, Richard," she agreed cheerfully. She accepted the warning in his voice, but was glad she would get to jump.

Teddy asked Charles to teach him how to play marbles using the new ones he had received. The two of them went out to the side yard for a lesson.

"I am glad to see he has recovered his spirits," said Jane when the two of them had gone. "I was worried about him earlier."

"He did not know how to handle so much attention and so many gifts. We had a talk about it upstairs and he is feeling better now. He did enjoy the gifts. I think the handkerchiefs were very special to him because they were made just for him and had his initials on them to prove it. He told me every time he looked at one he would remember someone loves him."

"I had forgotten how different it is to have family around you that loves you," Richard said thoughtfully. "My mother had always celebrated my birthday, so I was better prepared when Aunt Anne and Uncle George celebrated with me after I went to live with them. He will be more ready next year and we will not be trying to make it such a big affair."

"How do you feel about him inheriting Stone Landing?" Uncle Bennet asked me.

"I am glad the estate will be back in caring hands," I said. "I know this puts more of a burden on Richard, but it also means Teddy has a birthright outside of being our adopted son. And I am very pleased to know he is a distant cousin."

"I think Sophia is correct about him having a birthright. Anything I gave him as my adopted son could be looked on by society as charity of a sort, especially when he is in school with the other boys. To truly inherit an estate lifts his status. I do not mind taking on the extra work of making it profitable again. I think watching the process will teach him to value what he is gaining in a way my father, brother and Lord Willoughby never did. Teddy will not waste his inheritance or treat it like an entitlement."

"Not with you and Will teaching him how to run the place," Uncle Bennet chuckled. "Even if that had been his nature the two of you would teach him better."

"So Teddy is actually your cousin, Sophia?" Kitty asked, looking up from her embroidery.

"It is distant, but if I understand things correctly his great-grandfather and my grandfather were first cousins. Their fathers were brothers. There were several brothers in that generation with my great-grandfather being the oldest. Lord Willoughby was descended from one of the brothers who was older than the one Teddy is descended from. I think the brother who was Teddy's ancestor changed his name to Simons as part of a marriage settlement just as Richard is changing his name to York. Something similar happened in Lord Willoughby's family line with his great-grandfather gaining the title as well as their family lands through marriage with the eldest daughter of the previous earl. I do not think their entailment was enacted until the next generation. It is all rather complex. Frustrating though the results can be, having the entailments written out probably made it much easier to figure out who inherited what."

"Do you think your father would be pleased that his adopted grandson is the next heir?" Lydia asked.

"I believe my father would have accepted Teddy as his grandson and loved him as much as we all do. I am sure he would be pleased Teddy will inherit. With the guidance he will have growing up, I think Teddy will become a man we can all be proud to have in the family."

"I am proud of him already," said Richard.

"Will you have to visit Stone Landing, Richard?" Aunt Bennet asked.

"Eventually I will. I need to wait to hear from Mr. Baines first on what legal steps we need to take. I will wait until a little while after the wedding to make the trip no matter what the requirements may be. I have plenty to deal with already."

"You are still going to Thornapple on Wednesday?" Lydia asked with concern.

Richard laughed. "Yes, Lydia. I am going on Wednesday and Mr. Archer will make sure we find any problems and figure out how best to take care of the estate. I know you would like to join us, but you will just have to wait patiently for me to return and report back."

She sighed, "I know I cannot go with you but I really want to know what the estate is like and all about the horses."

"I will take notes and even try my hand at a few sketches," Richard promised her.

"Thank you, Richard," she said with a smile.

Jane surprised me by speaking up then. "Richard has offered Charles and me the option to purchase Myrtleridge. Will sent some sketches and the house is lovely. It is also very close to Pemberley so Lizzy and I could visit frequently. After Richard and Sophia's wedding Charles and I will go back to Pemberley for a visit. While we are there we will go look at Myrtleridge and decide if it is to be our new home."

"Oh, but Jane, I do so like having you here at Netherfield," Aunt Bennet said sadly.

"Netherfield is not for sale, Mama. We can only lease it for one more year but we would really prefer to find a place of our own. I would like to be close to Lizzy, especially as our families grow. Will told Richard that Myrtleridge would be a very good home for us"

"I will sell it to them for a very fair price, Aunt," Richard said. "And I will feel better knowing I am putting it in good hands and it will not be my responsibility any more."

"I just do not like all my girls leaving home," said Aunt Bennet.

"Now, Mama," said Jane teasingly. "You were always so eager to marry us off. Our leaving home is part of the bargain."

"She has you there, my dear," said Uncle Bennet with a laugh. "And in a few months you will have another child to take your attention. Jane, Lizzy and Mary will all be forgotten."

"Oh, Mr. Bennet," she said with a smile, "how you tease! I will never forget my girls no matter how far away they go."


	87. Chapter 87

_AN: to the two reviewers who posted as guests recently - thank you for commenting. Below are some answers to your questions. In fact, thank you to everyone who comments. Even when I do not PM directly to say so, I appreciate you all._

 _On the size issue: I agree with all the various commenters about the size and I like the divisions proposed by "guest". When I started I originally intended this story to be about half the current size (And I suspect a really good revision would be). I did not set out to write the P & P version of "Days of our Lives", it just came out that way. My next story (currently in draft) will be much more tightly written. Thank you for the suggestions for division headings. I like the title "Revelations at Rosings Park" and plan to use it in some way. _

_On the issue with the posting time and frequency: I think it has to do with the browser cache. I have noticed the same problem myself. I can go to the main P &P page and it might show that "posted 17 hrs ago" message along with the old chapter count for a few days, even when I refresh the page and have posted 3 or 4 new chapters. Likewise I have had problems even accessing the new chapters sometimes without multiple refreshes on earlier pages. Clearing the cache usually helps. I generally post at least one chapter a day. When I post depends on my other commitments (like work, family time, etc.), so sometimes it is rather late in the day. Sometimes I miss a day, like yesterday when every time I started to type on this story the other one I am working on would come out of my fingers. By the time I managed to wrest my focus fully back it was already past my normal bedtime and I knew most of what I was writing would have to be reworked anyway before I could post. I thought it was better for all of us if I just waited until morning. _

_As regards the solicitor being suspicious: I admit I thought of that. It would be more of a problem if Willoughby had not been known to be a rotter of the first order, part of the smuggling gang and implicated in the death of Lady Catherine (oh, and that Collins guy) with multiple witnesses. Plus, it was the solicitor who had to track down Teddy, not the other way around. That may not leave them completely in the clear, but it does eliminate some of the questions. It is a good point, however…_

 _A note on a couple items listed below: Wikipedia says one of the first mentions of crayons in literature was in Pride and Prejudice. Of course they were charcoal and wax or grease in varying shades of gray, not the brightly colored things we think of today, but still they were crayons. Oh, and jigsaw puzzles were called "dissected puzzles" when they first came out. The first ones often featured maps and the cuts were made along country or county lines. Apparently they did not fit together as well as the ones we now know.  
_

 _Now, on with the show. Like sands through the hourglass...oh, wait, wrong show :oD_

* * *

Lydia and Kitty received their jumping lesson on Tuesday. By the end of the lesson Richard was convinced Charm made a very good mount for Lydia. Charm was a more lively horse than either Buttercup or Tawny, while still being responsive to directions, with a smooth gait and healthy appearance. Richard suggested Uncle Bennet acquire her from Charles for Lydia's permanent use.

When approached later, while the three young ladies were outside watching Teddy use his hoop, Charles said he was actually already planning on giving the horse to Lydia.

"I bought the horse for my sister, after all," he said. "Lydia _is_ my sister and is nicer to me than Caroline ever was. I would like to find one for Kitty as well, to be fair about things."

I could see Uncle Bennet was going to protest but then he looked at Richard. I think he was remembering the proposed gift of estates for dowries. If was going to accept them, then he should allow his son-in-law to make a gift as well if he wished. Charles could afford a horse or two and he seemed pleased at the prospect of making the gift. Uncle Bennet simply thanked Charles, but asked they wait to tell Lydia until they had a horse for Kitty to avoid hard feelings.

0o0o0o0

Uncle Bennet allowed us a little time to talk in the back parlor that evening before Richard left. Teddy was assigned as chaperone.

"No leaving them alone now, Teddy," Uncle Bennet had said.

"No, sir," Teddy said before accompanying us to the room.

After we had discussed his plans, Richard promised he would use caution on the visit to Thornapple. He expected to be back no later than Saturday afternoon to tell us all how it went.

"I am taking Old Satan for protection," he told me with a laugh. "So there is no need for you to worry about _my_ safety."

"You know I will anyway," I told him.

"You just cannot help it, can you?" he said with a fond smile. "Teddy, be sure you keep an eye on your mother while I am gone. Do not let her worry too much."

Teddy looked up from where he sat nearby on the floor playing with the two wooden horses with riders. "I will do my best, Father."

"Thank you, son. I also need you to promise me you will not try jumping on Sooty while I am gone unless Uncle Bennet is with you."

"Yes, sir. Will you take me out to jump over higher things when you get back?"

"I think we can find you something a little higher than that log to practice on."

"I would like that, Father. Even Sooty can step right over _that_ log."

"True enough. Well, much as I hate to go, I think it is time for me to leave. I plan an early start tomorrow."

Teddy set his horses on the table and stood up. Richard also stood and clapped him on the shoulder. Helping me rise, Richard said, "Come along, you two. Walk me out to my horse."

0o0o0o0

Teddy decided to distract me on Wednesday by asking me to help work on his letters. I had told him it was important to acknowledge gifts, especially when you cannot give your thanks in person. He used his new slate and I helped him outline letters of gratitude to the Darcys, who had sent him some books he would enjoy reading. They contained pictures and stories that he could act out with his wooden figures. Georgiana sent some crayons and a book to help him learn to draw. Along with the letters to each member of the Darcy family he sent pictures he drew with the crayons on some of the wrapping paper we had saved.

He also wrote a letter to Mary and Daniel. They had sent him a dissected puzzle showing a map of England. He could learn a little geography while he put it together. There were two other puzzles with pictures on them along with a very nice illustrated story book.

Edward and Franklin each received a letter. Teddy told them about learning to jump on Sooty and about some of his birthday presents. He offered to let them play with some of his new toys when they came to visit for the wedding.

After finishing his letters Teddy went down and gave Lydia a big hug and thanked her for the present of the slate. After she purchased the slate Lydia had personalized it for Teddy. She borrowed Kitty's paints and painted Teddy's name on the top of the wooden frame. He had enjoyed using her special slate, but he was very happy to have one that was his own and had his name on it as proof.

We went riding with the others and all of us worked on our various tasks. It was another time of waiting. I thought we had too many of them in the past few months. I consoled myself thinking there would be fewer of these times once he had the estates settled. Had Richard remained in the army I would be expecting far more of these times while also knowing he would be in more dangerous circumstances. I realized Charlotte was facing that prospect with her husband. I would have to see if there was any way I could offer her support, even if it was just to listen while she worried. Knowing Richard would be as safe as circumstances allowed, I did my best not to worry and generally succeeded.

Lydia was the one who was impatient for news. With her it was not so much worry as excitement. I smiled to myself every time she speculated on what Richard might find. Unless something was terribly wrong there, I was certain Thornapple would be her dowry. Choosing a different estate for her would be simply cruel at this point.

0o0o0o0

We expected Richard on Saturday. He actually returned late on Friday afternoon. Teddy, who had been rolling his hoop in the yard, alerted us to Richard's arrival with shouts of excitement. I came to the door as Richard arrived on Old Satan trailed by two horses on leads.

Teddy rushed up to greet the black horse and then greet Richard once he dismounted. I came forward as well to let Richard know how glad I was to see him back early. He was not as dusty as he should have been if came direct from his trip. I suspected he had already stopped at Netherfield to clean up. He was grinning in a way that reassured me the trip had gone well.

After he kissed me on the cheek, he asked Teddy to put his hoop somewhere safe then run and get three carrots. When Teddy returned Richard had me take one of the carrots, then he led me to one of the two horses on the leads. She was a pretty mare, all black except for what looked like a set of white stockings on her legs. He gave her a pat on the shoulder and suggested I feed her the carrot.

"This is Minerva," he said, still smiling. "I thought it only right that my Sophia would ride a horse named after a goddess of wisdom. She came from Thornapple and is trained to sidesaddle. See if the two of you can get along."

Our three young ladies had come out of the house to see the new horses. Richard called Kitty over and told her to take a carrot as well.

"You can feed the third one to Old Satan, Teddy. He deserves a treat," he said, then took Kitty to the second mare, who was a pretty golden color with a slightly darker mane and tail.

"This is Comfit, Kitty. She has also been trained to sidesaddle and will be staying at Longbourn for you to ride, since Grace will be taking Tawny back to Rosings."

Kitty delightedly fed Comfit the carrot and began to pet and talk to her. I gave Minerva her treat and a good scratch under the cheekbones. She stood half a hand higher than Nelly and definitely looked younger and more graceful. I was very pleased by her appearance and hoped she would be a good horse to ride.

The grooms came up to take the horses into the stable, but Richard stopped them. "I think Sophia and Kitty should take their horses in and give them a brushing. Get to know them a little and help their new friends feel comfortable in the stable. You can take my big fellow in if Teddy is done talking with him."

"I will lead him in, Father, although the groom will need to brush him because he is too tall for me to reach his back."

Richard unhooked the leads from Old Satan's saddle, handing Minerva's to me and Comfit's to Kitty. We led them to the stalls the grooms suggested, followed by Grace and Lydia. Once there, we worked as sister teams to brush the horses and make them comfortable, while Richard leaned against the stable wall with his arms folded across his chest, watching the proceedings while still grinning happily. Teddy joined him, copying his pose, once he was sure Old Satan was settled.

Grace and I enjoyed working with Minerva. While not quite as placid as the horses from Rosings, she still seemed good tempered and not at all spooked by having two unknown women tending to her. Like Richard, she was not as dusty as she should have been if she had come direct from Thornapple. She must have had some care at Netherfield as well.

While Lydia helped Kitty settle her horse she also tried to question Richard about the trip. He did not respond to her questions except to suggest she focus on working with the horse.

"There will be time to talk a little later, Lydia. Comfit deserves some attention. She has been traveling most of the day."

We gave our new equine friends a little more attention, then left it to the grooms to be sure they were properly fed. We would visit them again the next morning I was sure, especially after Richard offered another bit of information as we were leaving the stable.

"Their tack will be coming over from Netherfield tomorrow. Teddy and I can escort you four ladies on a ride if the weather holds."

We all approved of that suggestion. I saw Lydia check the skies to see if they looked at all threatening. We had been having a run of sunny or partly cloudy days with mistiness and sprinkles of rain in the morning.

Richard laughed, "Not to worry, Lydia. It does not look like stormy weather is on the way."

We went in to the drawing room where Richard greeted Aunt Bennet with a kiss on the cheek. Uncle Bennet had taken to sitting in his new chair in the drawing room and keeping his wife company while he read in the afternoons.

"You look like you have had good news, Philosopher," he greeted Richard cheerfully. "Come tell us about your adventures. I hope you will not make us wait until Charles and Jane are here."

"That would be the height of cruelty, I think, as they plan to wait until tomorrow to visit." said Richard. "I think Lydia might expire from curiosity before then."

"I am no cat to be killed by curiosity," Lydia told him laughingly, "but I _do_ wish you would tell us what you found at Thornapple."

"As do I," I added with a smile and a gentle nudge to his ribs.

He handed me into my seat before taking his usual spot at my right side. "Well it should be obvious," he said with a wink to me. "I found horses. Even you should have realized that, Lydia, since two of them are now in the stable."

"Richard!" she chided him.

"What is this, Philosopher?" asked Uncle Bennet teasingly. "Are you filling my stables with more horses now?"

"Just two more, Scholar, and since we will be taking two away when we return to Rosings the net difference is none."

"Richard brought a pretty mare for me to ride!" said Kitty. "Her name is Comfit and she is as sweet as a comfit."

Uncle Bennet raised an eyebrow at Richard. Richard winked back. I suspected he had already arranged for Charles to purchase Comfit at a reduced price at which point both Charm and Comfit would be presented as gifts to his sisters. I think Uncle Bennet came to the same conclusion, as he said no more on the matter.

"There had to be more than just the mares there," Lydia insisted. "Please tell us, Richard."

"Please, Father," said Teddy from his spot at my feet. He had retrieved a wooden horse from where he had left it in my workbasket earlier and had been making it jump back and forth over one of his legs while he listened to the talk.

Richard reached down and ruffled Teddy's hair. "I may have found more than just horses," he admitted. "Very well then, here is my tale. I left very early on Wednesday as planned. Mr. Archer was ready to go when I arrived as was the man he recommended we bring with us."

"Who was that?" Lydia asked.

"Benjamin Forkland is his name. He is a little younger than I am, but horses are his passion much as the military was mine. He has spent his lifetime around them and has most recently been working with Mr. Archer's steward in hopes of taking a place as a steward, preferably on an estate that breeds horses. Mr. Archer and his steward have given Mr. Forkland an excellent character reference. After working with him the last couple days I agree."

"Is he the new steward at Thornapple?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"You are getting a little ahead of things, Scholar, but yes, he is. The three of us rode north together while the morning was still just brightening the sky. As you know, the estate is in the north part of Cambridgeshire in that little corner where it borders Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The roads are well traveled and were in good condition despite the morning mist and light sprinkle of rain we had on Wednesday. All three of us rode hardy horses. Between their endurance and the good roads we made excellent time with very few stops."

"My puzzle from Cousin Mary shows where that corner is, Father. Mother showed it to me this morning."

"It is a nice enough area. We passed a great many farms and market villages on our way. The trip is between sixty and seventy miles since we could not go as the crow flies. It was still early afternoon when we arrived at the nearest village and made arrangements to stay at the inn for two nights. As Andrews and I had done, we scouted out the situation a bit first. I gave my name as Richard York so as not to warn Mr. Deems of our presence. Mr. Archer did most of the talking as he explained he had heard Thornapple might have some good horses for sale and he was hoping to add to his breeding stock."

"Did anyone challenge him?" Lydia asked.

"That they did. A few of the other locals breed horses as well. I would have failed miserably, but Mr. Archer and Mr. Forkland demonstrated their knowledge well. Pretty soon any suspicion that we might not be what we said died away. The locals were aware that the previous owner was dead and a new owner had inherited Thornapple. Lady Catherine's name did not come up, but there was a general impression that the person who bought the estate from the Carkeek family was something of a skinflint. They did not say so directly, but we could tell they were all expecting the new owner to show up at some point to take over."

"Is that why they were suspicious of you?"

"Well, with us being newcomers and asking specifically about Thornapple, can you blame them?"

Lydia smiled, "I would be suspicious too."

We stayed in the village that first evening. It had been a long ride and we were glad enough to stay put. We spent some time in the common room and Mr. Archer, Mr. Forkland and I each paid for a round of drinks, although the other two did so with my money as we had arranged earlier. As the evening wore on some of the men grew more free in their speech. A couple of the other horse breeders may have been trying to divert a possible sale to them, but others also mentioned a feeling that things were not quite right at Thornapple."

"What kind of things?" Kitty asked.

"They allowed that the horses all seemed to be good stock and cared for well, but many wondered why the tenant homes were not kept up and the fields were not very well managed even though enough horses were bred and sold to make a good profit. Having a skinflint for an owner could account for some of it, but it hardly seemed a good way to manage things, especially if what you want is profit. The work would cost far less than the benefit the owner would see in return."

"That seems to have been a blind spot for Lady Catherine," I said.

"It is a recurring theme," Richard confirmed. "When we got to the estate the next day we found it was true enough. The situation was nowhere as bad as Hazeldell. Aside from the stables, training grounds and the horses themselves, everything carried a general air of mild neglect. It was easy to see where the primary focus had been at Thornapple."

"The horses _were_ all well cared for?" Lydia asked with concern.

"Definitely. Mr. Archer and Mr. Forkland both assured me of that."

"Did you sack Mr. Deems?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"Eventually. I introduced myself to him as Lady Catherine's nephew and told him I was there to evaluate the running of the estate. I thanked him for sending the quarter's rents and statement, but explained I had several questions about inconsistencies I had noticed in the records. His reluctance when I asked for a tour and chance to review the records told the tale of his guilt. He tried to blame my aunt when I questioned the condition of the tenant farms and fields."

"How did you respond?" Lydia asked.

"I warned him this was not the first of my aunt's purchased properties I had visited. I am well aware of her style of management. I had come prepared with a full analysis of all the quarterly statements since the time of purchase and the final report had been reviewed by Mr. Archer, who ran a horse breeding operation of his own. I barely kept from laughing at the man's expression when Mr. Archer casually mentioned his brother, the magistrate, had often expounded on the punishments for horse theft."

Uncle Bennet laughed out loud. "I imagine he was trying not to soil himself after that comment."

"I suspect it was a near thing," Richard chuckled. "When I regained control of myself I told him I was a fair man and I knew the temptation was great to take advantage of an absent and not very attentive landlord. How I chose to deal with him would depend on how honestly he chose to deal with me."

"Did he confess?" Grace asked.

"He did not say anything at first. He seemed to be weighing his options. It was not until I pulled Lydia's report from an inside pocket and began to ask about the missing foals and possible undocumented sales that he decided to come clean. That was good work, Lydia. Without that document he probably could have bluffed his way out of it."

Lydia blushed at the compliment. "I am glad it helped, Richard."

"Oh, it helped. When he saw I had it all down in black and white he realized honesty would be his best defense. I could tell he was worried, especially knowing Mr. Archer's brother was a magistrate, but he admitted to manipulating the records and making undocumented sales. We toured the stables, then the estate and finished by going through his books. By the time we were done I was fairly sure he was being honest with us. I told him I did not feel I could trust him to remain as steward. Mr. Forkland would take his place starting that evening. Mr. Deems and his family could stay for another three weeks as long as he cooperated fully with Mr. Forkland, paid back the amount of stolen funds we agreed on and did not attempt to take anything further from the estate. If he kept his side of the bargain I would not press charges of theft against him, nor would I attempt to ruin his character. I would not give him a recommendation if he attempted to find other employment as a steward, but I would also not actively discourage anyone from hiring him."

"Probably a better outcome than he deserved," said Uncle Bennet, "but I am sure you feel better for giving him a chance to reform."

"I do feel better, especially as his wife and two young children would also suffer if I was more harsh on him. According to Mr. Archer, Mr. Deems has done a superb job with the horses. Thornapple specializes in producing well-trained riding horses. Several have been trained to the sidesaddle. I asked Mr. Archer, Mr. Forkland and Mr. Deems to pick out two that would be appropriate for Sophia and Kitty. After I gave them an assessment of your experience and skill level they presented a small group of horses as the best choices. From these I chose Minerva and Comfit. Mr. Archer and I brought them, along with their tack, back from Thornapple today. With Mr. Forkland at the property and in charge I felt safe leaving a day early, so here I am."

"What about the horses?" said Lydia. "How many are there? What kind of stock are they? Will you be keeping them all?"

"Last question first: I sold three of them to Mr. Archer at a somewhat reduced price. That was why it took us a little longer to get home. We had a cart with all the tack and a few other items and five horses trailing along behind it. We stopped at Mr. Archer's home first to drop off his horses and belongings and then I took the rest to Netherfield. The young man who drove the cart is the son of a Thornapple tenant. He was looking for work and likes the idea of being a carter. I purchased the cart and two horses that pulled it and they will carry some of our belongings to Rosings after the wedding, while the young man will continue working for me."

"And the other horses?" Lydia persisted.

"Mr. Forkland will be providing a full inventory of the horses at Thornapple including all of the information you wish to know. I will make sure you get a chance to look at it when it arrives."

"I have to wait?" she asked with a slight whine.

"Yes, Lydia," Richard answered firmly, "you do have to wait. You will get the best and most accurate information if you do."

"Yes, Richard," she said softly, hanging her head slightly at the implied scolding.

"I am glad you are back safe, Richard," said Aunt Bennet. "It was very kind of you to bring back a horse for Kitty to use. I hardly know what to make of all these new activities, but the girls do seem to enjoy their riding. For myself I will stay in the carriage or in that phaeton of Sophia's if it is pulled by those gentle ponies."

"That is probably for the best, Aunt Bennet. You will be safest that way," I said.

"Yes, Mama," Lydia added with a smile. "It is best you leave the riding to us."


	88. Chapter 88

Excitement hung in the air the next morning as we awaited the arrival of Richard, Charles and Jane along with the tack for the two new horses. I admit to as much enthusiasm as the young ladies displayed. Nelly was a good horse to learn on, but she was also old and truly preferred to go at a plod rather than a trot. I understood why Elizabeth had never really taken to riding if all she had was Nelly, who would also need to be shared with Jane. In the subject of riding I think Richard was also a better teacher than Uncle Bennet, even the improved and more active version of Uncle Bennet.

I wanted to find out if Minerva had a smoother gait and was more willing to keep up with Sooty and Charm. Like Lydia I found the waiting difficult. It became even more difficult when the Netherfield party did not show up when we expected them, just after luncheon. By the time they arrived two hours later we were all becoming concerned. Uncle Bennet had just agreed to send a message over to Netherfield to make sure no one was injured when Teddy came running in to tell us the carriage was coming down the drive.

Uncle Bennet looked relieved. I think he had been worried as well despite his attempts to tease us out of our concern.

"I will come out and see what their excuse is. Once I know I will come back in and tell you," he said to his wife. Aunt Bennet had been feeling more tired as her condition progressed. She used up her energy early in the day working with Kitty on the house and in continued plans for the wedding breakfast with all three young ladies. She would doze in her chair until Uncle Bennet returned.

All of us except Aunt Bennet went out. We found the carriage was just pulling up in front of the house, with Richard riding on Old Satan next to it.

"You are late, Philosopher," Uncle Bennet said as Richard dismounted. "We were just about to send a messenger to check on all of you."

"Ironically, we were late due to a messenger. Two, actually," Richard said. "An express messenger arrived just as we were about to leave. I needed to read the message and respond. I was just finishing my response when a second messenger arrived and I had to start the whole process over. Do you all mind delaying our ride a little longer? I would like to talk with you while the information is still fresh in my mind."

I felt as disappointed as Lydia looked, but we all did agree to the delay. Richard let one of the grooms lead Old Satan away as Charles and Jane disembarked from the carriage. He showed another groom which set of tack went to each of the two mares. Minerva was a little larger than Comfit and the saddles and bridles were fitted to each horse.

With a noisy clatter, we all returned to the drawing room. Aunt Bennet opened her eyes at the sound of our entry.

"Why, Richard, what are you doing in here now? I thought you were all going riding. All the girls were so worried and impatient."

"I apologize for letting everyone worry, Aunt," he said as he bent down to kiss her cheek in greeting. "We had some messengers arrive with news I am ready to share with everyone."

We took our usual places and all looked expectantly at Richard.

"Actually, before I discuss the messages Bingley has an announcement," Richard said with a smile.

Charles stood up and cleared his throat. "Well, as I mentioned when I brought Charm here, I originally bought her so my sister would have a horse to ride if she wanted to do so. Caroline never did and I forgot about the horse in the stables. When I remembered and we brought her here I was already planning what I am about to announce, but had to complete another task first. To that purpose, this morning I purchased Comfit from Richard. After all, I have two sisters sitting in this room and both of them deserve a horse more than Caroline ever did. As of today I am giving Charm to Lydia and Comfit to Kitty to be their own horses."

Both girls squealed with excitement.

"Really!" Lydia said excitedly. "Charm is really my own horse!"

"And Comfit is mine to have, not just to borrow?" Kitty added in a fluster.

"They are really yours. You father already agreed to my giving them to you."

"Thank you, Charles!" said Lydia, bouncing in her seat. "I am so glad you are my brother, even without the horse."

"I agree," said Kitty. "I will treasure Comfit because she is a gift from you."

Charles looked embarrassed by the attention and quickly sat down. Jane took his hand in hers. She was clearly happy with both the gift and the way her sisters had received it.

"Thank you, Charles," Uncle Bennet said when everything quieted down. "It was a generous gift and I am sure both girls appreciate that fact. Now, if the squealing is done, I would like to hear what message delayed your arrival today."

Richard spoke up, still smiling from seeing the reaction to Charles' gift. "The first messenger came from Lord Curlow. He wrote to tell me he is sending a local man who is knowledgeable about dairy farming out to check on the Sandingum estate, but his agent cannot make the trip until next week. Lord Curlow went himself earlier this week to Brierford place. Your report for that estate put him in mind of some of the problems he had already solved at his own estate. He took a man with him that he trusts to act as steward on my behalf and was glad that he did."

"He found Lady Catherine's steward had been cheating and stealing?" Kitty asked.

"If what he says is true, this was actually the one estate so far where all the financial records were accurate. The steward was not directly stealing from the estate. He was simply giving it the absolute minimum of care necessary to gather the rents Lady Catherine expected to receive. The tenants appeared to be doing likewise. He said it was a dismal place. In some ways worse than his ancestral home because everyone seemed to have just given up hope."

"Were all the tenant farms still occupied?" asked Grace.

"Lord Curlow said they were, but he also noted a few of them might have been better having no tenant at all given the overall poor management. Using the written authority I had provided him, Lord Curlow sacked the steward. He set the man he brought with him, Mr. Holly, as the new steward subject to my approval. Mr. Holly's instructions are to review the entire estate and put together a report with prioritized recommendations for restoring the houses and land to a properly productive state. This may include evicting problem tenants and changing the ways in which the land is being used. At the moment Brierford has some staple crops, a small herd of cattle, a larger flock of sheep and some hogs cared for by one of the tenant farmers. The animals are in adequate condition, but could be managed better."

"Did you approve of Mr. Holly as the new steward?"

"Yes, Lydia. I wrote back expressing my approval of all the actions Lord Curlow had taken. I trust his choice of steward. He has always been a good judge of character in my experience. He also warns me that the estate is unlikely to see any profit this year if we spend the money necessary to restore it properly. By next year, however, it should be doing much better and could be truly profitable by the following year."

"So this one will end up being a long-term investment," Uncle Bennet said thoughtfully.

"Yes. Lord Curlow was of the opinion that I would lose more money selling it as is than it will take to make the estate profitable. Because I do not rely on it for my livelihood I have time to make the improvements and then decide if I wish to keep or sell it."

"It would make a good inheritance for a second son or a dowry for a daughter," Charles suggested.

Richard smiled. I knew he was thinking about dowries for Kitty, Lydia and Grace.

"Was the second express from Will?" Lydia asked.

"Spot on, Lydia. He and Elizabeth visited Eldenhall and Castlemere this week and he sent an express to tell me what he found and what actions he took on my behalf."

"You said Brierford was the only place where the finances were reported accurately. Were the stewards cheating at Eldenhall and Castlemere?" Grace asked.

"Good listening, Grace. The answer is yes in both cases, but in different ways. The situation at Eldenhall looked similar to what we saw at Brockhurst. The sheep were the documented source of profit and Will found about the right numbers in the flocks. They were properly cared for and he noted they have a better quality fleece than was reported. The steward was certainly skimming funds off the reported sales of wool. The reported weight of wool sold was most likely correct, but he listed the price for a lower grade of wool. His real profit source was what he planted in part of the home farm and on three tenant farms which he leased to a brother, a cousin and to himself under a fictitious name."

"He leased a tenant farm to himself?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, he even paid for it, though what they were growing gave him plenty of blunt to do so. By some fluke of the terrain and local weather the land on those farms is particularly suited for growing opium poppies. They have been producing crops of high potency and quality which are sold to one of the medicinal supply houses for processing. Of course, this is not a crime. A tenant can produce whatever crop he chooses so long as he pays his rent. They were not paying a fair rent for the farms, however, and the steward should not be renting to himself or using the home farm for undocumented produce in any case. Will says that between the quality of the crop and the high production they were making an excellent profit."

"What did Will do?"

"As I did at Brockhurst, Will decided to offer them a deal. The three men are clearly very skilled at growing the crop and the land seems ideal for it. He insisted Mr. Abernathy step down as steward, but allowed all three men to retain tenancy on the farms. In light of the profitability, their rent has been raised and they will be paying back rent as well to make up what they had underpaid in the past including their use of the home farm. The new steward, who Will brought along just in case, is an older man who has extensive experience working with the land and the people. He will keep a close eye on the trio. Even with the money they must return and the increased rent they will be making a very good profit. Now the estate will share in it."

"So Eldenhall is actually a good estate to have?" asked Kitty.

"It is. It has an established crop with a ready and lucrative market. While I believe laudanum should be used with much more caution than is often the case, it is still a blessing to many. Having a source of quality opium is good for those who supply it to doctors and apothecaries. This is not a crop I would have thought to plant, but it is successful."

What about Castlemere?" asked Grace. "I love the sound of the name and have been very curious about the estate."

"It turns out there is both castle and lake at Castlemere," said Richard with a grin. "While the situation is not identical, Castlemere has been run in much the way Upford Hall was. The steward wanted to run the estate well, although in this case he had no family tie. He encountered the same resistance Mr. Walter received from Lady Catherine and chose to face the situation in much the same way. He found a better market for the wool and mutton sold from the estate and he worked hard to reduce costs. The difference between what Lady Catherine expected and what he actually brought in was put into improvements to the estate and to the flocks. Also like Mr. Walter, Mr. Rowe kept meticulous records. Every inconsistency you noted in your report is accounted for as are all the funds."

"So Mr. Rowe is still the steward?"

"Yes, Grace. Will believes that Mr. Rowe is the best choice to continue in that role. We will receive accurate reports regarding the estate production from here on out. The numbers Will sent me show it is a valuable estate. Bingley, do you have the packet?"

"Right here," Charles said, picking up a packet he had placed on the table next to him when he came in. He stood and brought it to Richard.

"Thank you, Bingley." Richard took the packet and opened it. From inside he pulled out several pages which he divided into two groups.

"These are sketches of Eldenhall," he said, passing one set of pages to me. "And these are sketches of Castlemere," he said, offering the packet to Grace, who was sitting nearest to us.

The sketches I held showed a square stone building with a few windows. It looked like a very old hall indeed. There were a few sketches of the interior and some sketches of the fields including one where poppies were lined up in ranks.

"Look at the castle!" Grace said, holding up one sketch that showed a small stone castle, mainly a three story round tower attached to a rectangular building of the same height. Both had narrow window slits and a crenelated roof line. To the side of the castle lay a small lake near which was depicted a herd of sheep.

I passed the sketches I had looked at on to Kitty. We spent the next several minutes looking at all the sketches until everyone had a chance to see them.

"Now," said Richard as the last pages were gathered together and replaced in the packet. "I also have an announcement to make of something I arranged with Uncle Bennet. I hope you do not mind, Charles. My intent is not to outdo your gift of the horses."

"I will not take offense," said Charles with a smile. "I am curious to know what arrangements you have made."

"We now have preliminary reports back on all of the estates. We still need a little more information on Sandingum but we know it is at least in good outward condition. Some decisions now need to be made." Richard looked a little uncomfortable. I took one of his hands in mine and squeezed gently. He looked at me and smiled.

"I never expected to have even one estate," he continued with a slight sigh, "let alone ten of them. Uncle George taught me to take my responsibilities seriously and dealing with that many estates is a very heavy responsibility. When I first learned about the extra nine estates I made a bargain with Uncle Bennet. I asked him to guide Kitty, Lydia and Grace as they researched all of the estate records we had available. In return I made an offer that sounds like a gift, but comes with a price. You did an excellent job with the research and the reports were valuable. My offer is that each of you three will have one of the estates as a dowry."

Aunt Bennet gasped loudly and looked like she might squeal much as the girls had over the horses earlier. Charles and Jane looked at each other and nodded. I think they were expecting this even though they had not been told of the agreement. Kitty and Grace looked stunned, but Lydia looked hopeful.

"Do I get Thornapple?" she quietly asked.

Richard laughed. "I think that estate was destined for you, Lydia. Your father, Sophia and I have all been expecting you to choose it."

Lydia's smile lit the room. I could tell she was only just holding in an ear-piercing squeal of joy.

"Step outside, please, if you are going to shriek," said her father with a smile.

She held her clenched hands to her mouth and stomped her feet a little in excitement, but had no further words to say.

"Kitty, Grace," Richard said, "This is a big choice and you do not need to make it immediately, but I want you to think about which of the remaining estates you would like to have as your own. Myrtleridge is reserved for the Bingleys. I would prefer to take Upford Hall out of the running as I would like to find a way for Mr. Walter to repurchase his family estate. Hazeldell, as you know, is basically sold. That leaves five possibilities for the two of you."

"You said there was a price, Richard," asked Kitty. "What is it?"

"It comes in several forms. To own an estate is to have a responsibility to the house, the land and the people who support it. Your father, Will, Bingley and I will help each of you make decisions about running whichever estate you choose. You will not be left unguided. At the same time, if the estate is yours, the responsibility is ultimately yours, at least until you marry. Having an estate and the income it generates will make each of you very attractive on the marriage mart when you come out. In some ways the estates will be more attractive even than Georgiana's thirty thousand pounds. Land is power and status. You will have to be cautious as fortune hunters will swarm about you trying to land the prize. Again, all the members of your family will do our best to protect you. You need to be aware that Kitty Bennet with an estate and bank account will be a much bigger target than Kitty Bennet of Longbourn no matter how good your current connections may be. I should also add, Will authorized me to tell you that he had already settled five thousand pounds each on Kitty and Lydia for dowries. The funds are invested with Mr. Gardiner and will grow before you are ready to marry."

"Five thousand each!" exclaimed Aunt Bennet. "That is equal to my settlement! And now estates! Oh! Girls!" In a move I had not seen for some time, Aunt Bennet pulled out her handkerchief and began to flutter it.

"Do you need your salts, Mama?" asked Lydia, still grinning brightly.

"No, no," Aunt Bennet said, calming slightly. "But just think! You have dowries! Oh, Richard!"

"Calm yourself, Aunt Bennet," he said soothingly. "All is well."

"This is why you asked us before which estates we liked the best, is it not, Richard?" Grace asked.

"Yes, I wanted to start you thinking about what you valued in hopes it might make the choice easier."

"It has," she said brightly. "I want Castlemere. I have been thinking about it and imagining it. The sketches have decided me. That is the estate I want to eventually call home."

"Because of the castle?" asked Teddy.

"Because of the castle, the lake and the sheep," she answered. "It feels right."

"I do not know much now about growing barley and hops," said Kitty thoughtfully. "I can learn though and I like that Brockhurst is the closest estate to Longbourn. Even after I am married I will be close enough to assist Mama and Papa if they need help of any kind. The estate has intrigued me from the first."

"Take a few days to be certain of your choices. It is clear all three of you have been thinking of the possibilities."

"What will you do with the other estates?" Charles asked.

"Care for them the best I can and hold them in reserve in case Sophia and I have sons or daughters who will need them. Teddy has Stone Landing now. According to my current will he is next in line for all my other properties after Sophia, with exception of the funds I set aside specifically for Grace. I will change my will accordingly if Sophia and I are blessed with other children. I am hoping to be around for a very long time, but we are prepared if fate has other plans."

We chatted a bit more about the estates, but finally Teddy spoke up, "I have a question, Father."

"What is it, Teddy?"

"Is all the important talking finished? I would _really_ like to take our ride now."

Richard laughed. "I think that is a very good idea, Teddy. After all, there are two ladies here who need to try out those new horses and I expect Lydia wants to celebrate knowing Charm is all her own."

"I certainly do!" Lydia said, still grinning.

Richard stood and offered me a hand up. "Then let us go and see to the horses."

Charles and Jane stayed with Aunt and Uncle Bennet, but the rest of us headed to the stables for the promised group ride. The discussion had been important, but I was ready to ride now.


	89. Chapter 89

On our ride I discovered what a difference the quality and temperament of the horse can make. If Minerva was a good example of the horses Thornapple produced and trained, then Lydia had chosen her estate well. I loved my new horse and I knew Richard could tell from the pleased looks he gave me during the ride. I returned each of those looks with a happy smile.

Kitty, Lydia and Grace rode together while Richard and Teddy stayed a little behind them with me. Occasionally Richard would call out a hint on how to sit better or where to guide the horses. When we came to a gate Richard or Teddy would dismount to open it for us, although Lydia wanted to try jumping. When she started to take a run at one of the gates Richard stopped her with a shout.

"Lydia Bennet! Stop right there! Do you _want_ tobreak your neck? Or injure Charm so she has to be put down?"

Lydia pulled Charm to a stop. "No, Richard," she said. "But I _can_ make the jump. I _know_ I can."

"Not until you have practiced your way up to that height," he said firmly. "That gate is different than the little log you tried before. You need to learn how to hold your seat and shift your weight so Charm can safely make the jump. You have to build trust with your horse so she will do as you request and jump instead of stopping short and throwing you over the gate. I do not want either you or your horse injured or killed. If you attempt an obstacle like this before your father or I say you are ready I will insist he take your horse from you and you will _not_ be able to ride again. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Richard," she said meekly.

"I mean that warning for all of you," he said, looking at each of us in turn. "Clear?"

He received a chorus of "Yes, Richard" or "Yes, sir" accompanied by nods of agreement.

"Good. Let me get that gate and we can continue our ride." Suiting his action to his words, he opened the gate for us and we did continue our ride without any more complaints or problems. He found an obstacle for us that was a little higher than the log we used before and we did some jumping practice as he gave us instructions. On one of Lydia's turns Charm did balk at taking the jump and Lydia only just kept her seat. Richard did not say a word, but Lydia read everything he might have said in the lift of his eyebrow. She nodded and took another try at the jump, this time sailing over with perfect form.

As we headed back to the house Lydia dropped back to ride alongside Richard. She rode silently for a little while and Richard waited for whatever she wished to say. Finally she looked over at him.

"I was over confident and not really paying proper attention on the jump that Charm would not take. Is that why she refused?"

"I believe it is," Richard said. "Your horse can feel your posture and how you shift your weight. They are smart enough to know if something feels wrong and they will try to protect their riders, even when that means disobeying. If you had been astride you probably would have fallen off. Having a firm grip on the pommel is what saved you."

"I understand now why you do not want us to jump without guidance or take too high an obstacle. I will wait and let you and Papa teach me."

"I am glad to hear that," Richard said with a smile. "I am enjoying having a bevy of lovely cousins. I would not want to lose you to a silly accident."

"Thank you, Richard," she said, with a small smile. With another nod she prompted Charm forward to rejoin Kitty and Grace ahead of us.

"I am glad she had that mishap," I said. "Neither she nor the horse was hurt, but it was enough of a scare to teach her what she needed to learn. She does better when she has concrete evidence of the consequences of her behavior."

"I am proud of her for figuring out _why_ the horse balked," Richard said. "She could have blamed Charm, but she recognized it was her own behavior that was at fault."

"No matter how silly or ignorant she has sometimes acted, Lydia _is_ a smart girl. I am very glad she has decided not live her life playing the part of an empty-headed flirt."

"Yes, if Wickham had not overplayed his hand by attacking Elizabeth and Georgie, he probably would have convinced Lydia to run off with him and then sold her to a brothel or worse. She was lucky. You have done a brilliant job helping them live up to the potential that was there all along"

"I just pointed them in the right direction. They had to do the work."

"Take some credit, Dearest. You had to do more than point. It took caring, dedication and firmness as well. Our children, starting with Teddy here, will be lucky to have you as a mother."

I blushed but was not sure how to respond. Teddy spoke up.

"I like having you as my mother," he said. "And Kitty and Lydia are much nicer since you started teaching them. They are good cousins now."

We dropped the subject as the house came into sight. It was time to hand our horses over to the grooms for care and take ourselves up to change out of our riding clothes.

0o0o0o0

When I came downstairs after changing out of my riding habit I found Richard waiting in the hall. I stepped forward to take advantage of the moment of privacy and steal a quick kiss.

"I want to discuss the transfer of the estates with Bennet and I think you should join us." he told me after we pulled away from each other.

"If you want me there I am happy to attend," I said.

"I will be right back." He went to the drawing room and returned quickly, followed by Uncle Bennet.

"Let us go to my study," said Uncle Bennet, turning down the hall towards the room.

We went in and settled down in the chairs. "What did you wish to discuss, Philosopher?"

"The transfer of the two estates. We want to do it in a way that protects Kitty and Lydia no matter what may happen."

"I expect you already have some ideas," Uncle Bennet said with a smirk. "Tell me about them."

"I plan to visit your brother Phillips on Monday or Tuesday to amend my will so Castlemere is clearly designated as Grace's dowry. I was thinking of having the property managed for her in trust until, say, her 25th birthday if she remained unmarried. I will establish Will, Charles and Daniel as alternates to manage the estate in the event of my death prior to the release of her dowry. I think the three of them would work well together and see to her best interest. I also planned to put some kind of stricture in place to help protect her from fortune hunters. I was thinking to require my approval before the estate would be released to a husband or the approval of two out of the three alternates if I die before she is married. We could put the same kind of strictures on the sale or gift of the estates for Kitty and Lydia."

"Sale _or_ gift?" I asked.

"Because it is property, not cash, I plan to ask Phillips if it is better to give the estates, with whatever conditions we decide on, or to sell them to Bennet for a nominal amount like ten pounds each and then have Bennet's will amended to call them out as their dowries. We do not want to unwittingly add them to Longbourn's entailment in case Aunt Bennet bears a daughter and another heir is found."

I nodded. It was good point to consider. If the heir were someone like Mr. Collins or Lord Willoughby, he would not hesitate to incorporate the two estates under his control if the opportunity arose.

"What do you think about the age limit, Sophia? Is it reasonable to make them wait to claim the estate for themselves until the age of 25 or 26 as is so often done?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"I know the wait past the age of 21 is usually done because we women are considered old maids if we are not married before 25 or 26, so it makes sense to release the dowry then. It is certainly more helpful than leaving the funds perpetually in trust like the thousand pounds I inherited from my mother. The interest has been helpful, but if mother had access to the principal we might have managed things quite differently. For this purpose, I think the wait is a good thing and helps protect them. With the option of Will, Charles and Daniel as interim managers, as well as Richard for Kitty and Lydia, we do not have to worry about them being without funds and unprotected. I think we should still make some provision for them to have access to an allowance from the estate that also becomes part of their settlement when they marry."

"That sounds reasonable to me," Richard said. "Perhaps we set up the estate accounts so that a certain amount of the quarterly profit is automatically transferred into a trust fund. I am sure Phillips could help set it up so it remains in trust for her unless she becomes a widow and could be held as the start of a dowry for any daughters she might have."

"Like my wife's portion of five thousand pounds, which is to be divided equally among the girls after her death," said Uncle Bennet.

"I think we should also consider what happens to the estate and the trust funds if she chooses, or is forced, to marry someone of whom the estate guardian does not approve, be that either of you or the alternates," I said.

"Good point," said Richard. "We would hope none of them would marry without the approval of the family, but you are right that the matter could be forced, as Wickham intended with Georgiana. In her case, her dowry is set up so Wickham would have had no rights to it without the approval of both Will and me. It would have remained in trust and been divided among any daughters Georgie might have, while she would receive an allowance from the interest. That is a little more difficult to do with an estate because someone must manage it."

"I think having multiple alternate guardians will help," I told them. "When we bring the girls out we will make it very clear the estate will not be released to a husband's control unless he is approved _prior_ to the wedding. The true fortune hunters will know they have to court you or Uncle Bennet in addition to the young lady they wish to wed and that will scare the less determined ones off."

"Actually, Philosopher, I would like it set up that the release of the estate for Kitty and Lydia requires approval from _both_ you and me. Since the estate is coming from you that should not raise too many eyebrows. You are more likely to spot a scoundrel than I am and as Sophia said, with multiple barriers they should be protected from all but the most determined of fortune hunters."

We proceeded to hammer out the nuances of how the estates would be transferred. Thinking of how Lydia wanted to run Thornapple, we discussed how much control each of the young ladies would have over the the estate until she married or reached the age of twenty five unmarried. We took notes on the provisions binding the dowries and all the details we wanted included in the wills both men would amend on Monday. I was pleased Richard included me in the planning and both men listened to my ideas with respect.

"You can look at the situation from the perspective of a woman who was cheated by a poorly written will," Richard told me when I thanked him for including me.

"Yes, Sophia," said Uncle Bennet. "You have lived most of the contingencies for which we are trying to plan."

I was glad they included me all the same. By the time we were called to dinner both men felt prepared to make their appointment with Mr. Phillips. I was certain the young ladies and their estates would be properly protected.

0o0o0o0

After dinner Teddy had a question for me. "Why were you and Father in Uncle's study for so long? I wanted to be with you, but Cousin Charles said you were talking about business, so I played marbles with him instead. He won a lot, but I am learning."

"I am glad you are enjoying the marbles and learning to play better. We _were_ discussing business in the study. The three of us were planning the best ways to make sure Kitty, Lydia and Grace all receive the estates your Father is giving them and how to make sure no one tries to marry them just to get the estates away from them."

"Did you make entailments on them?"

"Not exactly. Your father and Uncle Bennet will make rules so they must approve whoever your sister or your cousins marries before the wedding happens if the man wants to receive any of the estate. That will protect Kitty, Lydia and Grace from people who might cheat or hurt them."

"I am glad you are protecting them. I do not want them to be hurt. Now that you are back and we are done with dinner, could I sit with you and father on the sofa and read from one of my new story books?"

"I would like that Teddy," I told him. "Go get your book and we will enjoy a story."

Richard and I sat on the sofa with Teddy between us and together we read a story from one of the books Will and Elizabeth sent. I saw Uncle Bennet watching us with amusement. Kitty and Grace examined the sketches of Castlemere again as Charles and Jane spoke with Aunt Bennet. Lydia was reading her book on how to run a horse breeding operation. Even with our separate activities, it was nice to be together as a family group.

Eventually I took Teddy off to bed so he could spend the night dreaming about the adventures from his book. I spent the rest of that evening sitting hand in hand with Richard, just enjoying his company. When he and the Bingleys decided it was time to leave I headed off to enjoy my own sweet dreams.

* * *

 _AN: In answer to guest Annietenbears (and anyone who wants to know what my ideas and assumptions on the cost of estates are) – I was not able to find any readily available information on the average cost of the kind of estate we are talking about . I tried both a general web search and searches of my favorite regency blogs. In some ways, asking what the sale price of an estate might be is sort of the wrong question, although it is not a bad question. The majority of the bigger estates would have been ancestral homes that were not purchased – they were either taken in a sort of early land claim or they were granted by the monarch, as happened on a large scale during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. He reassigned church lands to his favorites left and right (after skimming a nice profit for himself). Most families tried to hold onto their property through the generations, hence the entails. Normally, you would sell only if you had no choice, which often drives down the price you can get. An estate was more than a house and pretty park, a good estate had tenants and the income of the owner was largely derived from rents. I look on estate ownership as being like owning an apartment complex. If you buy one many things factor into the cost and the expected return: how many units does it have, what condition are they in, what amenities can you offer to get and keep long term renters (because turnover is expensive), what is the average rent being paid right now, will the market allow you to raise that rent, will you need to add infrastructure or make repairs, what kind of neighborhood are you in, is it safe, why are the previous owners selling? The same property that would make your fortune in one place would bankrupt you in another. I have brought up some of those variables in the estates we have looked at. I've tried to stay away from actual monetary values in this story because I simply do not know what they were. Instead I have made comparison of relative sizes and profits. I assume we all have a sense of the relative differences between Longbourn, Netherfield and Pemberley, from both the book and the video references we have been given. If any readers do have a good idea of the average cost of similar estates and want to post them in the comments I will add the information to a later AN. I am curious as well. As always, thanks again to everyone for reading._


	90. Chapter 90

Services on Sunday were extra special because the first of the banns were read for our marriage. Richard and I sat together in the pew, as close as propriety would allow, and smiled as we listened to the vicar. Teddy shifted a little beside me, looking excited and as if he wished to say something. I raised a finger to my lips to remind him to be quiet and he settled down. His smile was as radiant as mine felt. In three weeks I would be married to Richard!

"Mother, why would anyone object to you marrying Father?" Teddy asked me as we stepped outside the church.

"I hope no one would, Teddy. It is a question the vicar has to ask as part of the preparation for the marriage ceremony. Most of the time there is no objection, so it is what is called a formality and is what they do because it is part of the rules."

"When Will and Elizabeth had the banns called for their wedding we were all afraid Lady Catherine or my father might come and object just to cause trouble," Richard added.

"Would that have stopped them getting married?" Teddy asked.

"No, but depending on the kind of objection raised, they might have had to wait until an investigation was completed to confirm they were allowed to marry."

"Why was Lady Catherine so mean to everyone?"

"I have no idea, Teddy. She and my father both had so many good things in their lives, but they both turned out very bitter and with a complete disregard for the feelings of other people. They were very unhappy people and they made everyone around them unhappy as well. Yet their sister, my Aunt Anne, was one of the kindest people I knew and she made everyone around her _happy_."

"Will I meet your Aunt Anne?"

"No, Teddy. Aunt Anne was Will and Georgie's mother. She died when Georgie was very young. My Uncle George was their father and he died almost six years ago. You are part of a family now with very few living blood relatives, but our adopted family makes up for the people we are missing."

"I like my adopted family," he said with a smile, "especially you and Mother."

I wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder and gave him a little squeeze while Richard reached around and ruffled his hair. We walked over to the Bingley carriage, accepting good wishes on our upcoming marriage as we went. I was rather glad Mrs. Long and her nieces were deep in conversation with someone near the church door. I did not want my happy day spoiled by her usual catty comments. I was enjoying having my adopted family around me. Richard was correct, they did fill some of the holes in my heart left by the blood relatives who were missing.

0o0o0o0

On Monday morning Richard stopped by Longbourn to collect Uncle Bennet for their visit with Mr. Phillips in Meryton. From the nursery window I watched the two ride off together, talking comfortably as they went.

Kitty, Lydia and Grace had all confirmed their choice of estate that morning. Each of them was looking forward to helping run the estates in one way or another. I knew Lydia would insist on making a visit to Thornapple some time soon. Given Brockhurst's proximity to Longbourn I expected Kitty would want to visit her estate as well. Grace would have to wait until we made a visit to Pemberley before we could take a side trip to see Castlemere.

Richard would be glad to get the legal work completed. He would still be involved with all the estates, of course, but he would no longer have direct responsibility for Thornapple and Brockhurst. I hoped the Bingleys would decide to buy Myrtleridge. That would lift another burden from him. He told me he planned to offer Mr. Walter good terms and a mortgage agreement similar to those he made at Hazeldell for the purchase of Upford Hall. We both felt it would be better in the hands of a man with a sentimental and familial attachment to the house and lands.

"Did Father and Uncle Bennet leave for Meryton, Mother?" asked Teddy from his seat at the desk.

"They are just riding down the drive now."

"I wish we could have gone with them. We have only ridden on Longbourn land so far since we got back from Rosings. I enjoyed the ride Father and I took to see Mr. Archer's ponies. It was fun going places I had never been before."

"It is fun going new places," I agreed. "I am sure your father would have let us go with him if it was a trip for pleasure. Settling all the legal issues around the estates may take a long time. Since we do not have any reason to be in the village that time is better spent on your schoolwork today."

"Why do I need to learn history? Some of the stories are fun, like when we talked about the wall to keep the blue people out, but some of it seems very boring."

"There are a few reasons you need to study history. The simplest reason is because you are expected to learn. When you go to school they will assume you already know the things we are studying together. If you do not know the teachers and the other students will call you stupid and tease you. That could make school very uncomfortable."

Teddy sighed. "I do not like being laughed at or teased. If that is the simplest reason, what are the other reasons?"

"Well, once you get past the boring bits, history can be fun. It is about people doing things and some of the things they did were very exciting. Many of the stories are about groups of people fighting each other. Those stories will talk about men who behaved as heroes and men who behaved as cowards. Some of them fought with sneaky strategies and some just ran straight into battle fighting as hard as they could."

"And some painted themselves blues," said Teddy with a laugh.

"Blue is not the only color people have painted themselves," I answered with a smile. "Some men used to paint their faces with patterns of white, yellow or black to show which tribe they belonged to or to make themselves look scary. You can also learn about the people who did not fight. Some men found ways to help calm the people who were fighting and make treaties and trade agreements. You will have to memorize some names and the dates for when things happened. It is important to keep things in order and remember the sequence of events because what came before often determined what happened after."

"So everyone has to learn history?"

"Not everyone, but all gentlemen are at least familiar with the general events of history. They will have studied it in school and will probably remember some of the most important dates of English history even if they forget everything else. They will remember the most colorful stories as well, like the story of King Alfred burning the cakes or that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066 and won by William the Conqueror, who came from Normandy."

Teddy brightened. "Will you tell me those stories, Mother?"

"I will tell you some and you will read about others yourself. Your father will also have stories to tell you because he studied military history, which is about battles and strategies. Uncle Bennet has studied literature and history, which are often tied together. If you continue with what we are studying you will be better able to understand what they have to teach you."

"Like when Father read my essay about why the Romans built London and then he told me about how a Roman legion is organized?"

"Exactly. So you now have a good idea why the Romans built London and why they placed where it is."

"Because it makes a good place for trade."

I nodded. "Part of learning history is asking questions. What are some questions you have about the Romans coming to England and why they would need a trading post like London?"

We settled down for a good discussion of the Roman expansion into Britain and why that was considered a good thing even though they were invaders. With a little guidance Teddy started coming up with good questions to help make sense of why the Romans came and what they faced when they got here. Then we started reading the history book about the subject. The reading came easier now that he had a framework of ideas to help him understand what was important in the text.

I wanted Teddy to learn the way my father had taught me. Dates, places and names mean nothing when learned by rote. If he could understand _why_ people acted the way they had, both as groups and as individuals, then he would have a better understanding of the world around him. History would be a living set of stories instead of a bunch of dead facts. We also turned it into a way to practice his reading and writing skills. The lesson continued until time for luncheon.

0o0o0o0

Teddy and I took a short ride with Kitty, Lydia and Grace after luncheon. They continued on with a solemn promise not to attempt jumping. the two of us returned to the house and I gave Teddy a short Latin lesson. When he realized Latin was the language of the Romans it made more sense to him why he would study it. This made the lesson a little more fun, because it tied into the other lessons.

As the afternoon wore on I began to worry. I knew what Richard and Uncle Bennet intended to complete was complex, but they had also expected to be back at Longbourn by now. When Teddy asked if he could go outside to play with his hoop I went along, partly to watch him and partly to watch the road.

Teddy showed me some tricks with the hoop taught to him by one the grooms. He was demonstrating how he could use the stick to steer the hoop when I looked beyond him down the drive and saw Richard riding Old Satan alongside a cart I did not recognize. The driver and another man were visible in it. I could not be sure from the angle I was at, but it looked like two horses were tethered behind the cart, still saddled.

"Teddy, put your hoop away. We may need you to run some errands," I said quietly. As he moved to obey I ran to meet the arrivals.

Richard prompted Old Satan to move ahead of the cart to meet me partway. As I drew closer I could see one of the men in the cart was the apothecary, Mr. Jones. Now I was very worried.

"Richard! Where is Uncle Bennet?" I asked as calmly as I could when he pulled Old Satan to a stop next to me and dismounted.

"He will be fine, Sophia," he said. "He will be fine."

Richard's clothing looked dirty and somewhat disheveled. I could see he was worried himself, but did not want me to worry.

"Is he in the cart?" I asked.

"Yes. He had a fall from his horse. A stray dog chased a rabbit onto the road and the two together spooked the horses. I managed to stay on Old Satan, but Uncle Bennet was thrown when his horse reared in fright. I will tell you the whole tale later. Mr. Jones says he is only bruised. There are no broken bones although he has a few cracked ribs. He is sedated right now. I would like to see if we can get him inside without frightening Aunt Bennet."

"How can I help, Father?" Teddy asked, running up to join us.

"I have two important jobs for you, Teddy," Richard said. "First, run in and quietly let Mrs. Hill know I need three of the footman and they are to bring a board wide enough to carry Uncle Bennet inside on. We do not want to scare Aunt Bennet, so after you tell Mrs. Hill go in and check to see if she is asleep in her chair. Do not wake her if she is, just keep watch over her. If she wakes up and asks what is happening reassure her that we are back and I will join her in the drawing room soon. Do _not_ tell her that Uncle Bennet is hurt, just that we are back. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir," said Teddy. He turned and ran back to the house to carry out his instructions.

"How can I help?" I asked as Teddy left.

"Let us ask Mr. Jones what other preparations we need to make."

The cart had come up level with us and one of the grooms approached from the stable to offer assistance. Richard gave the groom Old Satan's reins and sent the horse off with a pat to the shoulder.

"Mr. Jones, I have requested three footmen with a board for a stretcher to carry Bennet inside on. I have sent Teddy in to watch over Mrs. Bennet to help prevent her from worrying or finding out about Bennet's injury too suddenly. Is there anything Miss York can do to assist or prepare the way?"

As he spoke I looked in the cart bed where Uncle Bennet lay still, covered in mud and a rough woolen blanket. He looked far more disheveled than Richard and his breathing was somewhat labored. My heart clenched at the thought he might be more badly injured than Richard had indicated.

"I assume you will be taking one corner of the stretcher, Fitzwilliam?" I heard Mr. Jones ask. At Richard's nod he turned to me, "Miss York, when we carry him in I will walk on one side while you walk on the other to make sure he stays on our stretcher. While we prepare to get him inside please go instruct Mrs. Hill to make sure his bed is ready. Have her lay down an old sheet which can be removed after we get his dirty clothes off and get him cleaned up. I will need hot water and plenty of clean cloth to work with as well as any bandages she has on hand."

"I understand, sir," I said and headed back to the house. On my way in I encountered the footmen coming out. Two of them carried what looked like one of the leaves from the dining table.

Mrs. Hill was right behind them. I quietly passed on Mr. Jones' instructions.

She calmly said, "I sent to have water heated as soon as Teddy told me. I will get the bed prepared and gather the cloth and bandages. Teddy said he had orders to keep Mrs. Bennet calm if she woke up. He is in the drawing room now."

"Good," I said and we parted to work on our tasks. As I arrived back at the cart Richard and the footmen were gently moving Uncle Bennet onto the table leaf.

"What has happened to Papa?" Lydia asked as she and the other two come running from the stables. They had clearly just arrived back from their ride.

"Quietly, Lydia," I said. "Your father was thrown from his horse. He is sedated at the moment but he will be fine. We are trying to stay quiet to keep your mother from finding out suddenly or waking up at all if she is still napping."

"Can we help?" Kitty asked.

Mr. Jones answered. "The best you can do right now, Miss Kitty, is to stay out of the way and to be quiet like Miss York said." He stopped for a moment then added, "Although if two of you will take your father's horse and mine to the stable for tending and the other will carry in my bag, which is in the back of the wagon, that would be a help. Then Mr. Turner, here, can head on home with his cart and our thanks for the ride."

"It was no problem, sir. I was happy I could help," said the man, one of Uncle Bennet's tenants.

As Kitty and Lydia started to lead the horses away Richard said, "Kitty, make sure they check out your father's horse carefully. He may have strained a muscle when he reared. He was scared by a dog chasing a rabbit."

"I will make sure he is looked after. Thank you, Richard," she replied as she continued on to the stable.

Our little procession headed inside, with a man carrying each corner of the makeshift stretcher while the doctor and I walked on either side to ensure Uncle Bennet did not roll off. We went as quietly as we could up the stairs. We had a rough moment when one of the men lost his footing slightly, but he recovered before the table leaf tilted too much.

We found Mrs. Hill and Hanson, the man who valeted Uncle Bennet, waiting for us by the bed. The covers were turned back and two old sheets were layered over the clean sheet below. Mrs. Hill was taking no chances on dirtying the good linens. A bucket of steaming water stood by the hearth and a pile of clean cloth waited on a chair. Grace put the apothecary's bag next to the chair and left quietly.

Hanson assisted the men in sliding Uncle Bennet off the table leaf and onto the bed. The three footmen left the room, taking the table leaf out to be cleaned.

"Very good," said Mr. Jones when Uncle Bennet was situated to his satisfaction. "Hanson and I should be able to take care of him from here. Thank you, Miss York. Colonel...that is, _Mr._ Fitzwilliam, you should probably change into clean dry clothes if you have any here."

"I do and I shall. Thank you for your help, Mr. Jones. After I change clothes I will try to break the news carefully to Mrs. Bennet."

"Please do your best not to over stress her. She is delicate at this time and I would prefer not to have a second patient on my hands," he said with a slight smile.

"We will take good care of her," I said. Richard and I left the room followed by Mrs. Hill.

"I will go clean up and change into the clothes I had left for after riding. Would you check on Teddy and Aunt Bennet?" he asked.

"We will be waiting for you in the drawing room. If she is still asleep we will not wake her yet."

"I will be down quickly," he said. With a quick kiss to my cheek he headed to the guest room where he had left his extra clothing.

"I will get some hot tea ready and bring it to the drawing room," Mrs. Hill said. "Call for me if you need anything, Miss."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill." We went downstairs together. Kitty, Lydia and Grace all waited in the entryway.

"You should probably change out of your riding clothes," I said quietly. "Then come down to the drawing room. By the time you are back Richard should be there so he can tell us all what happened."

"Will Papa be all right?" Kitty asked.

"Mr. Jones and Richard both told me he would be. We have to trust them. Now scoot on upstairs. I will see you shortly."

They headed up, being as quiet as they could. I walked to the drawing room to learn the situation there. I found Teddy was sitting on the floor next to Aunt Bennet's chair. He had his wooden horse that he kept in my workbasket, but he was not really playing with it. He just sat holding it while he watched Aunt Bennet with little lines of worry on his forehead.

I walked over and stroked his hair. Aunt Bennet snorted a little and stirred as I walked by. She slowly came fully awake.

"Oh, Sophia. Have my husband and Richard returned?"

"They are upstairs, Aunt Bennet. Kitty, Lydia and Grace just returned from their ride as well. We shall all have tea shortly. Mrs. Hill is preparing it for us."

"Oh, good. I feel like I could use some nice hot tea. Teddy, there you are." She reached down and ruffled his hair a little. "You are such a good, quiet boy. It is nice to have you here with me."

"I am glad to be with you too, Aunt Bennet," he said. He settled a little more closely to her and leaned against her legs like he often did with me. She stroked his hair gently, pleased by the affection.

I took a chair nearby and we sat together peacefully until Mrs. Hill came in with the tea tray, followed closely by Richard, Grace, Kitty and Lydia. Richard leaned down to kiss Aunt Bennet's cheek and give Teddy an approving pat on the shoulder. I got up to pour the tea for everyone as the three young ladies took their seats. Mrs. Hill had a plate with some biscuits which she brought around for everyone.

Aunt Bennet took her tea and a biscuit, which she placed on the saucer.

"Is Mr. Bennet coming down for tea?" she asked.

Richard took the chair next to her that I had just vacated.

"Uncle Bennet will be staying upstairs for now," he said gently. "You need to trust me when I tell you he will be fine. We just had a little problem on the ride and he needs to rest. Mr. Jones has seen him and has given him some laudanum to help him sleep."

"You called for Mr. Jones?" she said starting to get a little flustered. "But why? What happened?"

Richard slipped out of his seat. He took the teacup from her and set it down on the table. He sandwiched her hand between both of his as he knelt by her chair.

"Aunt Bennet, calm yourself. Do you trust me?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, I...yes. Yes, I do trust you Richard. You say he is fine?" she still sounded upset, but she was calming a bit.

"He _will be_ fine. There was a little problem and he fell from his horse. He has some bruises and a few cracked ribs, but _he will be fine_. Mr. Jones has said so and I trust him."

"We saw him when they brought him home, Mama," said Kitty. "He was muddy but he did not look badly hurt."

"And Mr. Jones saw to him?" Aunt Bennet asked.

"Yes, he and Hanson made Uncle Bennet comfortable in his bed. Mr. Jones gave your husband a dose of laudanum to make the trip easier and help him rest. He will be up and about in a few days, although I am sure he will not want to go far from his favorite chair for a while. He will be recovered enough to give Sophia away at the wedding."

"What happened?" she asked, accepting Richard's assurances of her husband's likely recovery.

Richard patted her hand, then released it and stood, moving back to the chair. He sat down and took a sip of his tea, prompting Aunt Bennet to take a sip from her cup. The rest of us waited in silence. Aunt Bennet put her cup back down and started to absently stroke Teddy's hair.

"We had a good meeting with Mr. Phillips and got our legal paperwork in order to transfer the estates and protect our young ladies from fortune hunters. Our wills are amended and the other documents will be ready in a few days since your brother wants to do some checking to make sure we are getting everything settled correctly. It took a while and we left later than we had thought we would. Still, we knew there was no big hurry, so we took our time. As we rode we talked over the business we had done and were not paying as much attention as we probably should have."

"You did not try jumping, did you?" asked Lydia with a slight smirk.

Richard gave her a quelling look. She stopped smirking.

"We had just reached that point where the road turns after we pass the lane to Lucas lodge. There is some brush between the road and the hedge there. As we passed by the spot a rabbit burst out of the brush followed closely by a feral-looking dog. The rabbit ran right between the legs of your husband's horse and then in front of Old Satan. The dog ran under the horse's belly, still chasing the rabbit. Both horses were startled, but Old Satan did not rear, he just danced about. Uncle Bennet's horse did rear and your husband fell."

Aunt Bennet gasped. Teddy dropped his wooden horse in his lap and reached up, taking her hand between his just like Richard had done before. "Trust Father," he said, patting her hand. She covered their joined hands with her other hand and gave a little squeeze.

"I will," she said softly.

Richard nodded approvingly at Teddy, then continued. "Fortunately there was a deep patch of mud right at the point where Uncle Bennet fell. It cushioned the fall and kept him from becoming too badly hurt. I caught his horse before it could run away, then tied the reins to my saddle to keep him next to Old Satan while I dismounted and checked on your husband. He was winded from the fall and his ribs hurt badly, but he did not have the kind of breathing problems he would if he had broken them or punctured a lung. I helped him out of the mud onto the nearby grass. He would not do well getting back on the horse and I did not want to leave him to get help. We were still deciding the best course of action when Mr. Turner came down the lane from Meryton in his cart. His son was with him and we sent him running off to Meryton to get Mr. Jones."

"He was not with Mr. Turner when you got here. What happened to Henry?" Lydia asked.

"He hopped off the cart and walked home when we turned into the drive for Longbourn house. He made quick work of getting Mr. Jones. I had not wanted Uncle Bennet to move around before the apothecary arrived in case I was wrong about his ribs. Mr. Turner kept us company while we waited. He and I moved things around in his cart so there would be room to transport Uncle Bennet. We had just gotten that settled when Mr. Jones arrived. He checked over your husband and confirmed the ribs were not broken, nor were any other bones. Together we helped Uncle Bennet into the cart, then Mr. Jones gave him a dose of laudanum to help dull the pain he would surely feel from bouncing around in the vehicle. Mr. Jones stayed in the cart with him and we tied the two horses to the back. Mr. Turner brought us here and now your husband is upstairs, all cleaned up and tucked into his bed. Mr. Jones left just as I came down after I changed clothes. He assured me all Uncle Bennet needs is rest and care taken not to stress the cracked ribs."

"I want to see him," Aunt Bennet said, squeezing Teddy's hand lightly again before letting go. Teddy released her other hand.

"I will help you upstairs," Richard told her. "You understand we do not want you upset. That could harm the baby. Everything will be fine."

"I trust you, Richard. Please help me up."

Richard stood again and very carefully helped Aunt Bennet to stand while Teddy scooted over to sit by me. With great gentleness Richard escorted her out the door, making sure she was steady on her feet as they went.

"We will trust Richard too," said Kitty. " _Papa will be fine._ "

I stroked Teddy's hair and hoped Richard was correct. Uncle Bennet would recover. All would be well.


	91. Chapter 91

We managed to keep Uncle Bennet resting in bed for all of a day and that only because of the small doses of laudanum he was given at regular intervals on Tuesday. He refused any more of it on Wednesday morning. When he woke he insisted Hanson help him dress in some of his older clothes. The long, smock-like waistcoat and loose shirt may have been twenty years out of fashion, but they could hardly be seen under the dark blue silk banyan he wore instead of a coat.

Hanson walked alongside and assisted where he could as Uncle Bennet made his way creakily down the stairs and into the drawing room. The valet stood to one side, watching with concern, as his master gingerly settled himself into the chair. Teddy and I looked on with concern as well. Teddy had wanted to help, but I kept him by me since Hanson was a more capable assistant.

"Ah, that is better," Uncle Bennet sighed as he made himself comfortable in the seat. "Staying in bed always makes me ache worse and I dislike the effects of the laudanum. I can breathe better sitting up as well. I will sit quietly here and do my resting in my chair."

"Now we know where Lizzy gets that attitude," said Aunt Bennet, entering the room followed by Kitty and Grace. "We never could get her to stay abed either, no matter how serious the injury or illness."

Aunt Bennet looked glad to see her husband downstairs. He did not look so seriously injured sitting in his chair as he did sleeping fitfully in his bed. Despite her trust in Richard she was very frightened when she visited Uncle Bennet Monday evening. Even without seeing the worst of the bruises she knew he was injured by the sound of his breathing. Richard watched over her very tenderly, as I expect he would have done for his own mother. As he told Teddy earlier, our adopted family had taken the place of the other relatives we were missing and we would care for them as they had chosen to care for us.

"How are you feeling, Papa?" Lydia asked as she also entered the room. "Would you like me to get out the chess board?"

"Perhaps in a little while, Lydia," he said. "Coming down the stairs took a little more breath than I expected. I think I need to recover a bit before I give you a trouncing at chess."

"You may be off your game today, Papa. I have a chance to win."

"You take advantage of an old man's weakness. Terrible child," he said with a slight smile.

"You are not that old, Papa. You are fifty two this year, are you not?"

"That I am. Today I feel every moment of my age. Your mother is lucky to be eight years my junior. I shall doze a bit, then read my book. We can have that game of chess later on. Teddy is not the only one who needs to do some studying. You girls should get on with your lessons so you can be free to take a ride this afternoon."

"Are you not worried to get back on a horse or to have us ride, Papa?" Kitty asked.

"What happened to me was a strange accident, Kitty. There are things in life you simply have no control over, like a dog chasing a rabbit under your horse. If you let fear of such things prevent you from doing what you want or need to do then you stop really living. When I have healed I will get back up on my horse. I trust you to use reasonable caution when you ride, so I will not try to stop you." He chuckled softly and then winced from the pain in his ribs.

"I will say, I was very glad I finally have my affairs in order," he added. "As I fell from the horse I remember being grateful I had just taken care of amending my will. It was not needed this time, but it would have been a relief for all of you that I had one if it _had_ been needed."

"I am glad your will was not needed," said Aunt Bennet thoughtfully. "Although I will also admit to relief at knowing you have one. You girls should know your father is right about not living in fear. I spent all those years, really from the time Mary was born, fearing what might happen if I did not have a son. I grew sillier and sillier and forgot to be thankful for the wonderful daughters I have. I was so busy worrying about finding you husbands so we would all be safe that I never took the time to understand each of you and the things that make you so special. Do not let fear take over your life."

We all looked at Aunt Bennet in surprise, although Uncle Bennet's look was also tinged with shame.

"You are not worried anymore, are you Mama?" Kitty asked.

"No, child. My worry began to ease the day I learned Lizzy was to marry Will. She and I may not have gotten along very well and I did not understand her, but I knew she would never allow us to be homeless or hungry. Then when your father and Will confirmed that Mr. Collins could not take everything I was able to let go of the rest of my fear."

"Will you be disappointed if the baby is not the son who could inherit Longbourn?" asked Lydia.

"No. I want to have a son, that is true, but I will be glad to have another lovely daughter as well. I just hope the child is healthy. Your father, your brothers and Richard as well, I am sure, have made arrangements to take care of us all. I do not have to fear the future. I can enjoy it."

"You will always have a place with us, Aunt Bennet," I confirmed.

"I apologize for never taking your worries seriously, my dear," said Uncle Bennet. "I always assumed you knew the way the entail worked and were fussing over nothing. I should have made it clear and I should have taken steps to protect you all much earlier."

"You have done so now," she said. "My future and this child's are secure. Not to mention I now have three fine sons and a nephew to dote on." She smiled at her husband.

"Do not forget, Mama," said Lydia with a grin, "you have two daughters with estates to support you. What do you say to a challenge, Papa? To see if I can make Thornapple more profitable than Longbourn?"

"Enough of this," said Uncle Bennet with a slight shooing wave of his hand, although he was smiling broadly at Lydia's challenge. "Off to your lessons girls, Teddy. Leave me to rest in comfort here."

All five of us headed up to the nursery, although the young ladies made a stop in the back parlor to collect their books. I helped Teddy read his history lesson while the others found a comfortable spot on the little beds and worked on their own reading assignments. I could tell all three young ladies needed the company as they were still worried about Uncle Bennet.

We had all been reading for a while when Lydia spoke up. "I think Papa already looks better. I am glad he came downstairs."

"He will probably feel better sitting in his chair," I said. "We do not want to make him laugh or kick up any dust to make him sneeze or cough. His ribs will feel very sore for a time. He should probably not bend over very far as well. We will want to be careful how we place the chessboard to make it easy for him to move the pieces. Better yet, you might offer to make the moves for him if he tells you his move instead of having him reach for the piece."

"Why is it a problem if he laughs?" asked Teddy.

"Put your hands over your ribs like this," I directed, placing my hands on my lower rib cage. Teddy obeyed. "Now breath in and out and feel how your hands move. Then try laughing."

Teddy breathed in and out, then he forced a laugh, followed by a real one as Grace reached over and tickled him.

"It makes my ribs move either way, but they move more when I laugh," he said.

"If your ribs were cracked or you had bruises around them those movements would hurt. Sneezing and coughing are even worse. They might actually break the rib and that is dangerous because it can puncture a lung or cause a bad infection and fever. We do not want that to happen."

Everyone agreed to be careful so Uncle Bennet would not be hurt further. He would be pampered back to health if we had our way.

When we came downstairs after time with our books we met Mr. Jones just coming in to visit his patient. When he started to head upstairs we pointed him to the drawing room. He sighed and changed direction.

"I should have known," he said while shaking his head. "He is as bad as Miss Lizzy at keeping still and resting in bed."

"He said he could breathe better sitting up in his chair," I told the apothecary.

"We do want him to breathe freely. Some people find sitting helps. You must all do what you can to keep him from straining himself."

"Mother said we do not want to make him laugh or stir up dust so he sneezes or coughs," Teddy said as Mr. Jones passed us to enter the drawing room.

"Your mother is a wise one. Be sure you listen to her." Mr. Jones said as he headed in.

"We should probably not disturb them while Mr. Jones examines Uncle Bennet. Shall we all take a walk outside?" I asked. They all agreed and Teddy ran to fetch his hoop while the rest of us got our bonnets and pelisses.

As we walked on the trail towards the dower house Teddy ran back and forth in front of us, rolling his hoop and trying the tricks he had learned. I told Teddy that when he got a little better at rolling the hoop he could try the game Roman boys played which was to set the hoop rolling and then try to throw a stick like one would throw a spear through the rolling hoop while keeping the hoop moving and upright. He spent the rest of the walk trying to figure out the best ways to do that.

We did not go all the way to the dower house. Uncle Bennet had recently found a family to lease the house and we did not wish to disturb them. Instead we took a few other trails before returning to the main house. When we entered the drawing room we found Richard sitting with Aunt and Uncle Bennet.

"I arrived just before Mr. Jones left," he said. "He warned Uncle Bennet against any strenuous activity until those ribs heal. He also said our family needs to be a little more careful. I had a black eye last week; Uncle Bennet has cracked ribs this week. Mr. Jones says he does not want to be called in to treat anyone else for something even more serious."

"We will be careful, Father," said Teddy. "And we will all help Uncle Bennet feel better."

Richard smiled. "I know you will, Teddy. Did you all have a pleasant walk?"

"Very pleasant," I told him. "We went out towards the dower house on the path and then made our way back to the house by a different route. Teddy rolled his hoop the whole way. He is becoming very good at it."

"Mother told me about a trick Roman boys used to play with their hoops. They would roll it and throw a stick through the hoop. I want to learn how to do that." Teddy said as we moved to our usual spots in the room.

Richard patted his shoulder. "I remember reading about that game. If you practice I am sure you will figure out how to do it."

Lydia got out the chessboard and started a game with her father. As we discussed, she had him tell her his move and she moved the pieces on the board. He could play without leaning, bending or straining himself.

Kitty and Grace talked with Mrs. Bennet about new ideas they had for the decorations for the wedding breakfast at Netherfield. Our walk had inspired thoughts about how to use flowers in a less formal way than they had originally planned. I continued to leave full charge of decorations and other details of the wedding breakfast to the planning committee. I had not spent my days dreaming of a perfect wedding or any of the other details. While I had no objection to celebrating with my family and the neighbors, it did not matter to me what decorations were used or if we even had a breakfast. My focus was on the man I would marry.

I focused on Richard now as we sat with Teddy. He was wearing that content smile again as he listened to Teddy tell him about the lessons we worked on that morning. I realized that in many ways Richard was as much in need of a family as Teddy had been. Teddy was delighted to have a father's attention, but Richard was getting as much out of the relationship as his new son was.

"What has you smiling that way, Sophia?" Richard suddenly asked me.

"I was just enjoying watching the two of you together. I like seeing my men happy," I answered, still smiling.

"I will not be a man for nine more years, Mother," Teddy said in a manner reminiscent of Richard's teasing tone.

"I was using it as a figure of speech just now. The important point is that you are both mine to care about and I do like seeing you both happy." I would have ruffled his hair in affection, but he was on the other side of Richard on the sofa. I just smiled even more broadly at them both.

Richard leaned in to kiss my cheek. "I _am_ your man and I am happy to be here with you both."

"What is going on over there, Philosopher?" came Uncle Bennet's voice.

"We are just having a happy family conversation, Scholar. Has Lydia finally managed to best you at the chessboard?"

"She is putting up a good fight, but I do not think she will win against me this time. I may be tired, but I still have the advantage of experience."

"I will just keep trying, Papa. One day I will be skilled enough to win."

"That you will, my dear. Then it will be up to you to teach young Teddy, if his mother has not already done so."

"He has enough new lessons right now," I said. "Richard and I will teach him draughts. Chess can come a little later. One day he will take you by surprise and request a game."

"I look forward to it. I am enjoying the challenge of all my new opponents. I will have to hone my skills for when Teddy joins the ranks."

"I have never played draughts. Is it like chess?" Teddy asked.

"It is played on a similar board and requires strategy like chess does, but the rules are a little simpler to follow. You do not have to keep track of different moves allowed for each of the different kinds of men because all the men in draughts look alike," I told him.

"Wait a minute. Why did no one teach me draughts?" Lydia asked in mock affront.

"Because we thought you were ready for chess," said her father. "Now make that next move and prove that you are."

"Oh, I am, but I want to learn draughts so I can play against Teddy."

"I am a champion draughts player, Lydia," said Richard puffing up his chest. "I will teach Teddy every trick I know. You will have to be skillful if you wish to beat him."

"Then I will be skillful. Right now I had best concentrate on _this_ game." She turned back to the chess board.

"When will you teach me to play, Father?" asked Teddy.

"I will find us a board and pieces. I think the Gardiner boys may know how to play already, so I had best start teaching you this week."

"I found a board in a cupboard in the nursery," I said. "some of the pieces were missing, but perhaps you could whittle some replacements and we can use the paints to color them."

"Can we go do that now?" asked Teddy.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Richard answered, standing. Together the three of us would assess the situation so that Teddy's lessons could begin. I looked forward to watching Richard teach Teddy the game and Grace or I could play when Richard was not available. Leaving the others, we went up to see how many little discs of wood Richard would need to make.

* * *

 _AN: While I had originally thought (and written in the first two chapters) that the title of Viscount Stone ended with Sophia's father and just the estate passed through the entail, several people have asked about Teddy getting the title. We still have a few chapters before the solicitor gets back to Richard with the information needed to finalize Teddy's inheritance. If you have an opinion, add a comment with a yes or no vote on whether you think Teddy should become Viscount Stone. I will tally the votes when I get to that chapter and go with the majority._


	92. Chapter 92

Uncle Bennet spent the next few days in the drawing room as much as possible. Drawn by the comfort of his chair and the distraction provided by regular company, he made the trek down the stairs despite how stiff and sore he felt. He could hold court in his corner of the room much as Aunt Bennet did from her favorite spot.

The chess board saw frequent use. The games occupied his mind and distracted him from the aches and pains. Even Richard took a few turns, surprising Uncle Bennet with his skill at the game.

"I should have known," said Uncle Bennet after Richard won the first of their matches on Thursday. "It is a game of strategy after all and you do strategy well."

"Uncle George taught me chess when I first became interested in military strategy. Will and I played the game together as boys, but I did not play much after I joined the army. Draughts was easier to play between marches. We would scratch out a board in the dirt and use pebbles, twigs or even coins as pieces. You could find two sets of whatever we were using for the twelve on each side more readily than trying to distinguish between the various chessmen with found items."

"Of course you do not necessarily need a board and men for chess," said Uncle Bennet.

"No, you do not," Richard answered, "but with all the distractions having some visual reference helps a great deal. I knew some men who carried a small set of wooden tokens marked as chessmen, but I always considered it unnecessary weight. Many of the men played for money as well, both draughts and chess. I stayed away from those games. I was hoping to retire some day and knew my money was better saved than wagered."

"And look at you now, Lord of the Manors," said Uncle Bennet with the faintest of chuckles.

"Careful of those ribs, Scholar. We would not want you to laugh yourself to death."

"Oh, I agree," said Uncle Bennet with a grimace.

While they played Teddy and I sat on the sofa reading letters. A packet had arrived by messenger from Dr. Burrows that contained letters for the family including several from the Gardiners. Teddy had one each from Daniel, Mary, Edward and Franklin.

Daniel talked about some of Teddy's new games. He offered to play marbles when they visited for the wedding. He also claimed some skill with a hoop and promised to teach Teddy a few special tricks.

Mary congratulated Teddy on the good work with his studies I told her he had been doing. She let him know she was looking forward to seeing him again but hoped for another letter before then.

Edward and Franklin both wrote enthusiastically about the upcoming visit. They talked about the games they hoped to play. They also asked for the chance to try riding on Sooty. When he read the request Teddy immediately applied to Richard to see if that would be allowed.

"We would be very careful and stay in the yard, Father." Teddy pleaded.

"As long as Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner both give their permission I will supervise some riding time for both boys," Richard agreed with a glint in his eye that I took to mean he might have a better plan than just the three boys taking turns on Sooty.

"I will write to Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and ask if they will give their permission," Teddy said with a happy bounce in his seat. "Sooty will be good and let them walk around the yard on him if I lead him."

"I am sure he will. Just try not to be too disappointed if Mr. or Mrs. Gardiner would prefer not to let their boys ride. After all, Uncle Bennet is recovering from a riding accident which might make them reluctant to take a chance with their sons."

"Yes, Father," he said with a little sigh. "I can still ask, right?"

"Right," confirmed Richard with a smile.

Teddy returned to his letters with a happier air. I could see him working out how best to convince the Gardiners to let Edward and Franklin try riding Sooty. Richard looked over at me and winked. I was certain he had a plan but would have to wait to find out what it might be.

Daniel had also written to encourage Uncle Bennet to take gentle exercise and spend most of his day sitting up. He said he had seen more cases of infection and breathing problems in patients who remained in bed for long periods. As long as Uncle Bennet used caution and did not re-injure the ribs Daniel felt he would heal better with a little movement. We were all pleased to hear Daniel's opinion since Uncle Bennet was already putting the advice into practice.

Charles and Jane arrived as Richard and Uncle Bennet were closing in on the finish of their second game and Teddy was organizing a letter for Mrs. Gardiner on his slate. They had stayed away on Tuesday and Wednesday, trusting Richard's assurances of Uncle Bennet's recovery. With Richard's report the previous evening that Uncle Bennet had left his bed they had decided a visit was in order.

Jane rushed over to her father and gave him a gentle hug across the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek. He appeared slightly embarrassed by the show of affection, but accepted it nonetheless.

"I am so glad to see you are feeling well enough to be in company," Charles said enthusiastically. "Richard told us you would recover, but we still worried."

"I am tougher than I look, young man," said Uncle Bennet with a smirk, "although landing in a mud puddle certainly helped me escape serious harm."

"It ruined your clothes, though," Richard said with a matching smirk. "I can loan you a more fashionable waistcoat if that is all you have left."

Uncle Bennet pretended to be insulted. "I will have you know this was my favorite waistcoat when I was your age, Philosopher. The style is certainly more comfortable than those skin-tight things we wear today. I will risk being out of date for now, thank you all the same."

"Eh, I offered," said Richard offhandedly, causing a general laugh, although Uncle Bennet kept his response to a smile.

"We brought letters with us," said Jane. "Will and Lizzy sent a packet by messenger. They confirmed they will arrive in a week, either on the twentieth or the twenty-first, and will stay at Netherfield."

"We have letters for you as well," said Aunt Bennet. "Daniel sent a packet. The Gardiners have confirmed they will stay here as will Mary and Daniel. They plan to travel together when they come and should arrive on the twenty fifth. It will be so nice to have everyone together for a little while."

"I am looking forward to seeing everyone again, especially Lizzy," Jane agreed. "Derbyshire seems so far away sometimes. It will be nice to visit, though, and to see if Myrtleridge will work for us. I feel better knowing Kitty has chosen Brockhurst for her home so there will always be one of us close by if you need help."

"I am going to have fun with Edward and Franklin when they get here," announced Teddy. "They may even be able to take a ride on Sooty, if their mother and father will let them."

"That does sound like fun," Charles said. "You will also be able to play with your toys and play ball in the yard."

"Yes. We had fun playing in the snow at Christmas, but now we can have fun playing in the yard and fishing in the stream."

"Have you ever caught anything in the stream?" Charles asked with interest.

"I thought I caught a minnow once, but it turned out to be a stick. It was fun trying, anyway. Mrs. Hill made a net for me with an old piece of cheesecloth she sewed to two sticks. I still have it so we can fish with it. Maybe we will catch a real minnow this time."

"The stream is only five or six inches deep at the most and not more than two feet wide," said Uncle Bennet. "I did catch some small trout there a time or two when I was a boy. I have watched an osprey pull trout out of there as well on occasion."

"I saw an osprey when Mother and I went riding together. It was big and had black feathers around its eyes like a mask," Teddy said.

"I saw one of those birds sitting in a branch outside my study window," Charles put in. "I had forgotten they are called osprey."

"They are sometimes called sea hawks or fish hawks," said Richard. "Will and I would watch them fishing in the lake at Pemberley. I was always amazed at how they managed to catch and carry off the big fish. Their nests are easy to find, too, because they are huge."

"Shall we call this game a draw, Philosopher?" asked Uncle Bennet. "We have become very distracted and we do have more letters to read."

"A draw it is, then. I will challenge you again later."

Kitty, Lydia and Grace came in from the music room just in time to be handed their letters from Pemberley along with the rest of us. They were also happy to hear the Darcys would arrive in just a week.

"I have missed Lizzy and Georgie," said Kitty. "We have been having so much fun, but I wanted them to be here to enjoy it with us."

"Lizzy says she has been enjoying learning to ride more than she thought she would. They plan to bring the horses she and Georgie use along with their tack so both of them can go out riding with us. That will be fun!" Lydia added.

"It is a good thing they are staying at Netherfield," said Uncle Bennet. "Our stables have been filling fast lately."

"Oh, there is some room left," said Richard with a grin. "It is a shame Mary does not ride. All the ladies could go out together."

"Actually, she does know how to ride," Jane told us. "She learned to ride on Nelly and was better at it than Elizabeth. She has not ridden lately, but I expect she could pick it up again fairly easily. With so many beginners we will not be doing any riding that is beyond her abilities."

"Nelly will get more exercise then," said Kitty. "It would be fun to have all of us ride together. We could take a picnic lunch and go off into the woods beyond Oakham Mount."

"That sounds like a good plan, Kitty," Richard said. "I would certainly enjoy seeing some of the countryside in that direction and a picnic is always fun on a pleasant day. Will and I could each carry one of the Gardiner boys with us so they do not miss out on the excursion either."

"Yes, Father!" said Teddy excitedly. "Edward and Franklin would enjoy a ride and a picnic. They cannot do that in the city."

"There are parks to picnic in, but it is different than taking a ride in the country," observed Richard.

I could tell we now had a plan for the week before the wedding. Kitty and Teddy were both right. A ride followed by a picnic would be fun.

"I had a letter from Charlotte yesterday," I told Jane. "She told me they found a house that was not too far from either the camp or the promenades by the beach. It is about the same size as the house they leased in Meryton, but because it is in Brighton it costs a bit more."

"I think going to Brighton would be fun," said Lydia. "I expect they have plenty of parties and dances, although after the experiences we had with the militia officers in December I am not sure how comfortable I would feel surrounded by so many soldiers."

"We will have a dance here ourselves with the assembly on the 26th," said Jane. "All the Bennet daughters will be here for it."

"I had forgotten it was coming up," said Lydia with a laugh. "Six months ago I would have probably already had my dress laying out for it and been counting down the hours. Now I have so much else to do and think about that a ball is simply a fun diversion, not something to live for."

"Lydia, child, you cannot imagine how much joy it gives me to hear you say that," said Uncle Bennet with a fond smile. "I once believed you would not have a thought in your head if were not a thought about dancing or flirting. I am so pleased to have been proven wrong and very proud of how you and Kitty have put in the effort to learn so much these last six months."

"I hope our new governess will be as interesting a teacher as Sophia," said Kitty. "Even when we did not want to do our lessons she made them fun enough that we would pay attention."

"I am glad for the recommendation," I replied with a smile. "Hopefully I will never need employment again, but I know who to apply to if I do."

"We will make sure you have a good governess," said Uncle Bennet, "but you two have learned how to learn on your own so it is not as important to have someone cajole you into doing your lessons."

"That is true," Lydia said. "We have a little more discipline now that we understand why a good education is important. I still hope she will be an interesting person and that she will allow us to ride regularly even if she does not ride herself."

"Request noted, Lydia," said her father.

"I have never had a governess to myself," Grace ventured. "It will be different than being at school where there were always other girls who also needed attention. I want to be ready for when we come out in London. We need to behave very well so no one has a chance to compromise us or fool us into a poor marriage now that we all have good dowries."

"We will make sure you have the guidance you need," said Richard, "but when in doubt you can always look to your sister as a good model to follow."

I stood and curtsied deeply to acknowledge the complement.

Lydia laughed. "Lizzy said when she was in doubt she would pretend to be Jane. She told me smiling graciously and keeping her mouth shut was much harder than it looked and yet Jane could do it without any apparent effort."

Jane stood and followed my lead with a deep and graceful curtsy. Everyone laughed except Uncle Bennet, who pressed a hand over his mouth to prevent the laughter from escaping and rocking his painful ribs.

"I shall enjoy going to the assembly with all my daughters and nieces," Aunt Bennet finally said. "No other family in the area has so many beautiful and accomplished young women to represent them."

"I must write to Mary and remind her to bring a gown for the assembly," Kitty offered.

"And I shall write to Georgie so she and Lizzy both bring one as well."

"Your letter to Georgiana will need to go out today if you want it to get there on time, Lydia." I said.

"I had not thought of that. Come on, Kitty. You too, Grace. Let us go write some letters."

Lydia stood and, taking Kitty and Grace by the hands she practically dragged them out of the room with her. All three were laughing as they went.

"I told Lizzy about the assembly when I wrote to her last week," said Jane with a smile. "Lydia seemed so excited about writing I did not want to stop her."

"A second reminder will not hurt," said Aunt Bennet. "I shall enjoy spending the evening with my sister and watching all of you girls dance."

Richard had come to sit next to me. "May I have your first dance?" he asked.

"Always," I answered. "And any other dance you wish." I smiled brightly knowing I would finally be able to dance with Richard. He had been returning Mr. Collins to Kent during the assembly before Christmas and I had only danced the one dance with Will after Elizabeth prompted him to ask me. It was a pleasant dance but not the same as dancing with Richard would be.

"I will look forward to the evening then," he told me with a smile. I would be looking forward to it as well.


	93. Chapter 93

On Sunday Uncle Bennet felt well enough to join us in attending services. Or, at least, he thought he did when we left the house. He found the carriage ride a little rough, but gritted his teeth and made it through.

"The bruises are not so bad," he told us, "but every bump and rattle makes my ribs ache."

"Would you feel more comfortable walking back, Papa?" Kitty asked. "We would be happy to walk with you."

"Thank you, Kitty. I should be able to recover somewhat during the sermon. I think I shall choose speed over comfort on the way home. Walking would simply prolong the time before I can return to my comfortable chair."

Kitty smiled at him. "If you change your mind, Papa, let us know. Teddy may enjoy riding up with the coachman, but I am sure he would be happy for an excuse to take a long walk with us as well."

Uncle Bennet smiled fondly. "He's a good lad."

We pulled up in front of the church to find Richard and the Bingleys already waiting for us. The two gentlemen helped all of us out of the carriage. Although Richard offered me his arm, as usual, he also walked close to Uncle Bennet in case he needed any support as we went inside. Teddy's proud offer to escort Aunt Bennet was accepted graciously. Richard and I shared a smile on seeing how Teddy was copying his father's manners.

Several of the neighbors had apparently heard of the accident. Our progress toward the Bennet pew was slow as many stopped us to ask after Uncle Bennet's health. He told them all he was a little bruised, but recovering swiftly. He referred all requests for details about the accident to Richard, who briefly explained about the rabbit and the dog racing under Uncle Bennet's horse. It was a little like running a gauntlet and the church aisle had never seemed quite so long before. I am sure Uncle Bennet felt the same. Richard placed himself to protect against any accidental jostling as the three of us moved along and eventually we did make it to our places.

"I am regretting leaving home today," muttered Uncle Bennet. "The well-wishing of my neighbors has nearly killed me."

"We will do our best to escort you out to the carriage quickly when the time comes," said Richard quietly. He let Aunt Bennet take her place, then Richard and I entered the pew with Teddy, followed by the rest of the family.

I once again felt that warm happy glow when the banns were read. I saw Teddy crane his head and listen intently when the vicar asked about objections. He smiled when the moment passed and no one spoke. I smiled as well.

As we rose to leave, Richard leaned across Teddy to whisper something to Kitty, who passed a message to Lydia. As he helped Aunt Bennet exit the pew he also whispered to her. Then he asked Teddy to escort me. We went first, followed by Uncle Bennet guarded on either side by Aunt Bennet and Richard who were, in turn, closely followed by Grace, Kitty and Lydia. We did our best to insulate Uncle Bennet from any jostling or interruptions to our quick exit. The few times people did try to stop our little parade Aunt Bennet asked their pardon explaining she needed to return home quickly. Charles and Jane followed along a little more slowly and answered any remaining concerns about Uncle Bennet's health.

After we settled Aunt and Uncle Bennet comfortably in their carriage we let them go ahead to Longbourn with the young ladies. Richard, Teddy and I would ride with the Bingleys. They soon made their way to the carriage and we headed off to Longbourn as well.

"I will miss spending each Sunday afternoon together as a family if we move to Myrtleridge," said Charles as we rolled out of the village.

"I will as well," said Jane, "but since we cannot stay at Netherfield for much longer we will just have to become used to being on our own."

"The Darcys will be close even though you will probably not see them each week," I added.

"That is true enough," Charles said. "I had just never really understood what it felt like to be part of a big family before. My mother died when I was fifteen and at school. My father was always busy running the business and did not have much time for me. I never really understood my sisters and let them manipulate me because it was easier than standing up to them. Now I know what sisters should be like and I am enjoying myself."

"They will still be your sisters even if they are not just the next estate over," I said, "and you know Teddy will write to you and tell you all the adventures at Rosings."

"Yes, Cousin Charles. I will write to you every week if you like. You too, Cousin Jane."

"I will look forward to your letters, Teddy," said Charles. "Even if we do not move too Myrtleridge I will want to hear from you. Of course, most people find my handwriting very hard to read. Darcy once told me a letter I sent him looked like an inebriated spider fell into the ink then scuttled across the paper."

"What does neebriated mean?" Teddy asked.

"Oh, I am sorry, Teddy. It is a fancy word for drunk. It is the kind of word Darcy uses." explained Charles.

"So your writing is splotchy? Mother has me practice my handwriting so it is very clear to read. Did your mother not have you practice?"

"No, she was not very worried about my handwriting and I did not pay much attention to it either, although it was not so bad when I was your age. It has become worse since I am no longer in school." Charles answered with a smile.

"You will get practice writing when you tell me about the new house. Maybe your writing will improve again," Teddy told him.

"Maybe it will, Teddy," Charles agreed.

"Bingley and I both received letters from Sir Howard Curlow yesterday. When we get to the house we can give everyone an update." Richard told us.

"He has been to Sandingum?" I asked.

Richard waggled a warning finger at me. "You will just have to wait like everyone else, Sophia," he said in a teasing tone.

Charles laughed. "I had a letter from Hurst as well. We will have all kinds of news to share."

"I suppose I can wait," I said with a heavy mock sigh. Teddy just laughed at me.

0o0o0o0o

"Sir Howard received a report from the man he sent to investigate Sandingum on my behalf. Colonel Overby's impression that nothing was particularly amiss turned out to be correct for the most part," Richard told us when we had all gathered in the drawing room.

"What was the part that was not correct?" Uncle Bennet asked, fidgeting a bit while trying to find the most comfortable position in the chair.

"May I make a suggestion, Scholar?" Richard asked.

"Of course, you may suggest anything, Philosopher. I make no promises to follow your suggestion."

"I know you have said you do not like the way laudanum makes you feel and you have taken some willow bark. My suggestion is that you perhaps take a drop or two of the laudanum, just enough to ease the pain from the trip to church, but not enough to knock you out or give you the unpleasant reaction to it."

Uncle Bennet sighed, lightly so as not to jar his ribs. "A wise suggestion, Philosopher. I think I will take your advice and call for some. While I wait will you answer the question about the estate?"

"Of course," said Richard.

"I will get it for you, Papa," said Jane as she stood. She left the room to find Mrs. Hill and get a small amount of tea or some other drink to dissolve two drops of the laudanum in.

Richard continued. "He found the herds were in good condition and had obviously been cared for. The milk was collected daily by a carter who carried a distributor of milk in the closest town. We saw mention of the sales contract in the documents we received from the steward. As seems usual for these estates, the actual contract provided for a higher payment received that was reported and the breed of cattle seems to produce more milk than was reported. The reported amount is what you would typically see from the breed most common to the area around Rosings, so it had not raised any suspicion."

Jane returned with a cup of liquid which she handed to her father.

"Thank you, dear," he said before drinking it down and grimacing at the taste.

"Was the steward stealing the money?" Kitty asked.

"Yes, Kitty," said Richard. "He was. And he was _not_ putting the money back into the estate either. The tenants at Sandingum tend to have small farms and pay part of their rent by working with the cattle when needed. The houses were in acceptable condition, with a few repairs needed. The rents were a little high both in general and when compared to other estates in the neighborhood that are run in a similar manner."

"How did the investigator handle the situation?" asked Lydia.

"He came prepared, having already asked around about the estate and the dairy contract. When he went to speak with the steward he brought a local constable with him both to establish his authority to act and just in case there were problems. The steward, Mr. Laine, tried to bluff his way out of trouble, but it was clear he had been stealing funds from the accounts in fairly large amounts. When the constable tried to arrest him, Mr. Laine fought back and got away."

"Did he take the stolen money with him?" Uncle Bennet asked.

He was able to grab some of his belongings, but he had to leave much of his ill-gotten wealth behind. The investigator, Mr. Whittier, is temporarily acting as steward and will use part of the funds to make any necessary repairs. He will send the rest to Rosings by special messenger along with an assessment of fair rent amounts for each tenant farm. I will lower the amounts due by the end of the quarter and will either hire Mr. Whittier if he wants the position on a permanent basis or find another man to be the steward."

"That seems to have worked quite well in the end. As long as Mr. Laine does not return to cause trouble or try to steal any of the funds back that estate should be in good shape as well."

"You are correct, Scholar. I am hoping it will not be a very troublesome estate due to the distance I would have to travel to fix any problems in person." Richard said.

"Was there any other news from Sir Howard?"

"I received a letter from him," Charles spoke up in answer to Uncle Bennet's query.

"News of your sister, I suppose," Aunt Bennet said.

"Sir Howard did mention that he had enjoyed the trip to check out the estate for Richard, but he was equally happy to return home. Caroline has settled into the neighborhood well. I think the warnings she would be spending the rest of her life with these people so she needed to be nice to them must have sunk in. Sir Howard says that my sister is not really a friendly person by nature, but so far she has not actually offended anyone or made any enemies. That is quite the achievement for Caroline."

"Why would your sister offend people?" Teddy asked, looking up from the wooden horse he had been galloping across the carpet around his legs.

"She just has problems being nice to people," Charles told him.

Teddy nodded and went back to his imaginary ride. I had to wonder why Lady Curlow would think acting superior and being offensive was acceptable behavior. I am sure it caused her more harm than good in life.

Charles continued, "I also received a letter from Hurst yesterday. He says he and Louisa are getting along well with his parents this time, since Caroline is not there to cause trouble. He also noted that if all goes well there may be a Hurst heir around Christmas. He seems much happier not having to share Louisa with Caroline all the time."

"I hope all goes well for her," Jane said. "It is good she will be near his parents at this time."

"I am glad they all seem to be getting along. Both Caroline and Louisa seem to be much happier apart," Charles said.

"I wonder if they would agree with that assessment," I said.

"I do not intend to ask them," Charles said with a smile. "In fact I doubt they would answer if I did. I get my news from their husbands. My sisters do not write to me at all."

"Do you miss them?" Grace asked.

"Sometimes, a little bit," he answered. "Most of the time I am very happy with the sisters and cousins I have here, especially since you do not order me around like they did." He laughed.

"I will not order, but I will ask," said Lydia, "will you dance with all of us at the assembly?"

"It will be my pleasure, Lydia. Of course, I have the first and last with Jane, but I hope to dance with each of you ladies at some point that night."

"I have the first and last with Sophia," said Richard, "but I also hope to dance with each of you during the course of the evening."

Lydia clapped her hands and smiled. "Good," she said, "with the militia gone we are back to having too few men around to serve as dance partners. Now each of us can be certain of a few dances during the evening."

"Ah, Bingley, she only wants us for our dancing feet," said Richard teasingly.

"It is a hard life," said Charles, "but I suppose we will manage."

"Oh you boys!" said Aunt Bennet. "You know you will enjoy the dancing as much as my girls will."

"That is very true, Aunt Bennet," said Richard with a smile. "I am looking forward to the assembly."

That was a statement with which we could all agree, except perhaps Uncle Bennet. He had dozed off in his chair and missed the last part of the conversation. I doubted he would be in any mood to dance if he had been awake to hear us.


	94. Chapter 94

When we heard the sound of a carriage Teddy and I stopped our history lesson and went to the window. The nursery windows commanded a good view of the drive where we saw the Darcy carriage, flanked by two riders, just pulling up to the door.

Richard looked up from his perch on Old Satan. When he caught sight of us waving to him he smiled broadly and said something to Will, who was riding next to him. Will looked up and waved back to us.

Teddy and I turned and quickly made our way downstairs. As we reached the bottom I had Teddy dart to the drawing room door, poke his head in and announce the arrival of the Darcys. He then followed me outside.

"Look who I found," said Richard, gesturing to the Darcy carriage where Will was just handing out his wife. The groom was already leading away Old Satan and Will's horse, so Teddy ran to greet his equine friend before he made it to the stable.

I greeted Richard and received my kiss on the cheek in return. Elizabeth came over and I greeted her with a gentle hug. He r condition was evident and she looked tired, probably from the long trip.

"It is good to see you, Sophia," she said just before a squeal of "Lizzy!" rang out from the door. Kitty and Lydia tumbled out, followed a little more sedately by Grace.

The two Bennet sisters greeted Elizabeth excitedly, while I stepped over with Grace to welcome Georgiana and Mildred. Teddy returned to welcome everyone, starting with Will.

"I am so glad you are here, Cousin Will," he said excitedly. "We are all going to go riding together and go on a picnic next week when Edward and Franklin get here."

"Richard told me you have plans for an outing," Will answered. "What other adventures will you be having before the wedding?"

"If Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner say we can then I am going to let Edward and Franklin ride on Sooty while I lead him around the yard. They have never ridden a pony before."

I saw Will and Richard exchange a conspiratorial glance as Teddy finished his answer. Clearly Richard had shared his plan with his cousin. I would have to find a chance to ask about it.

"That sounds like a good adventure," Will responded. "Your father tells me you have become a very good rider. I look forward to seeing you on Sooty later."

"Having a family has made a big change for Teddy, has it not?" asked Mildred quietly under the chatter from all the young ladies.

"He is settling into his place well," I said. "It is such fun to watch him try to copy Richard's mannerisms."

"He is a more confident boy than before we left. You can see it in the way he carries himself."

"I guess I have been too close to him to notice the change. Now that you mention it, I do see what you mean."

Just then Will moved over to Elizabeth to offer his arm. "I think we should all go inside," he said loudly. "We have other family members to greet after all."

He guided his wife inside. The rest of us followed, with Richard, Mildred and me at the rear.

"Oh, Lizzy! Look at you!" I could hear Aunt Bennet saying excitedly as we neared the drawing room.

"And you, Mama!" Elizabeth answered in a similar tone.

We entered to see Will helping Aunt Bennet up from her chair so she could hug her daughter. Uncle Bennet was in the process of standing up with a helping shoulder from Teddy.

"Where are the Bingleys?" I asked Richard as I suddenly realized they were missing.

"They will be along in a few minutes. Jane knew it would be a crush as everyone greeted the travelers. To help keep things a little calmer they decided to follow behind and arrive after the first flurry of greetings."

By this time Aunt Bennet had hugged Elizabeth and Georgiana as well as receiving a kiss on the cheek from Will. Elizabeth gave her father a very gentle hug. Richard had obviously warned them about the cracked ribs.

Mildred sat next to me as Richard and I took our usual places on the sofa. The rest of the group was just settling into their seats when Jane and Charles walked in, offering greetings and taking their own favorite spots. The drawing room was quite full. Uncle Bennet returned to his seat with a little assistance from Teddy, who then trotted over to take his place by my feet. He took his wooden horse from my workbasket as he usually did when we settled in to talk.

"That is a very handsome steed, Teddy," said Elizabeth when she caught sight of it.

"It was part of my birthday present from Mother," he said, standing and carrying it over so Elizabeth could take a look at it. "She gave me six horses and two have riders I can have mount and dismount. This one stays down here in Mother's workbasket so I can play with it while I listen to everyone talk."

Elizabeth examined the finely carved horse with approval, then passed it to Will. "Does this horse have a name?" Will asked.

"Oak," Teddy answered, "because it is made of wood and that is a kind of tree. The others are Ash, Birch, Maple, Yew and Elm. Father showed me what each of those trees looks like."

Will handed Oak back to Teddy. "That was a good birthday present and I like the names. Tree names were a proper choice for wooden horses."

Teddy smiled and came back to his seat, where he leaned back against my leg with a happy smile. Mildred raised an eyebrow as if to ask if this was normal. I nodded slightly and smiled as well.

"So tell us about your trip from Pemberley." Kitty asked. "We were not expecting you until later today or early tomorrow."

"It was long," said Elizabeth, drawing out the final word for emphasis.

"Oh, Lizzy," laughed Georgiana, "it was not as long as it would have been if we were headed to town."

"It is a long trip," put in Will, "but we made good time. I have rarely seen the roads in such fine condition. We did start very early both days and travel late, so Elizabeth has reason to be tired. It was just after dark when we arrived at Netherfield last night."

"Lizzy barely had energy enough to greet us before she headed off to her bed," said Jane with a fond smile for her sister.

Elizabeth rested a hand lightly on her rounded stomach. "This little one makes me tire quickly. I do not even have the energy for long walks anymore."

"You must be tiring easily if you cannot take long walks," said Lydia. "Are you sure you are really Lizzy?"

"Oh, she still walks," said Will with a smile. "She has just agreed not to walk far unless I am along to make sure she returns safely."

"That shows wisdom," said Uncle Bennet. "I have recently learned the value of having a companion on excursions."

"I am so glad you were not more severely injured, Papa," said Elizabeth. "Richard told us you might have had more than just bruises and cracked ribs if not for the muddy patch you landed in."

"Bruises and cracked ribs were quite serious enough for me," Uncle Bennet responded with the lightest of chuckles.

"Would you tell me about your visit to Castlemere?" Grace asked a short time later. "Did you know Richard has given it to me as my dowry?"

"I did hear that you, Kitty and Lydia all received estates from Richard and that you had chosen Castlemere," Elizabeth said. "It is a lovely estate, although it is a bit out of the way. There are several small villages in the vicinity but no larger towns."

"I do not mind that," Grace told her. "Tell me about the castle, the lake and the sheep. Those were what drew me to choose that estate."

"Well, as you saw from the sketches, the round tower sits near the edge of the lake, which may have once been part of a moat. It looks like the stream that fills it was diverted at some point and the rest of the moat was filled in when they built the newer portion of the house."

"A moat? Really?" asked Lydia. "If it was filled in how could you tell?"

"The rocks and dirt used to fill it have settled over time," said Will. "the filled in section is still higher than the lake, but you can see where it was. I think they may have dug the lake wider on the side away from the castle. It looks fairly deep as well, except for that far side, which is where the flocks drink. We even saw some fish jumping, so it might have a good population in it."

"So the tower came first and the rest was built later?"

"Yes, Grace," Will answered. "The tower is definitely older than the rest. It was made as a defensive stronghold and is on a rocky rise where it commands a good view of the surrounding area."

"The rest of the house was built with wider windows and would not have been as easily defended," Elizabeth added. "They made the roof line similar to the tower, but the battlements were intended simply for looks."

"Was the castle furnished?"

"the larger, heavier pieces were still there," Will explained. "The steward, Mr. Rowe, and his wife have rooms in the newer portion of the building and a small staff looks after them, cooking and cleaning. They have kept the interior in good condition, although any decorations or furnishings of value were sold before Lady Catherine acquired the estate."

"I hope I can visit some time soon," Grace said, looking pleadingly at Richard and me.

"We shall have to wait and see," said Richard. "It will not be in the next month or two at any rate. There is still so much I need to work on at Rosings."

Grace nodded. She understood the need to wait. I was glad again that we had already visited Rosings Park. She would not have understood so well if she had not seen the place.

"I am still amazed by all your descriptions of the visit to Rosings," Elizabeth said. "Will and Georgie confirmed what you wrote to me was true. It just sounds so...excessive!"

"Excessive is a good word for anything to do with Lady Catherine," Richard snorted. "Whatever Will and Georgie told you about Rosings probably fell short of what we actually found. I _knew_ Lady Catherine and I was still repeatedly surprised during our visit."

"Did you _really_ give her favorite chair to the Prince Regent?" Georgiana asked with a grin.

"Not only that," answered Richard with a smirk, "I had a personal interview with his royal highness and received his thanks for that monstrosity!" He broke into a laugh.

"And he was sporting a freshly blackened eye for his royal audience," Charles chimed in.

"A black eye, Richard?" Will asked. "You never mentioned _that_ in your letters."

"A mere glancing blow from one of my brother's creditors. Hardly worth a mention," Richard said breezily.

"If that was a glancing blow, you bruise very easily, Philosopher," said Uncle Bennet.

"All around his eye was purple and green," said Teddy.

"Do tell, Richard," said Will with a raised eyebrow.

"I got into a bit of a dust up with a few of my brother's creditors, as I said. I came out of it the victor, but it was still pretty obvious the next day when the Duke of Montrose took me to meet with the Prince Regent. The Prince insisted I ask for a boon and I requested he make it clear I have no responsibility to any debts incurred by my father or brother. He said he would make it official, although I have still not heard how that worked out."

"With the Prince Regent it is hard to say. I am glad the Duke of Montrose was with you. He will likely direct matters to your advantage," Will suggested.

"I am mainly glad to get rid of that throne. I sincerely hope I never have to look at it again."

"I hope the same," Will agreed.

Lydia decided a change of subject was needed. "Did you get my letter in time, Lizzy? Did you bring something to wear to the assembly?"

"Yes, Lydia, thank you for telling us about it. I probably will not dance much, but it will still be fun to go."

"And do you plan to dance every dance, Will?" Richard asked with a smirk.

"I already met your challenge at the Christmas assembly,"

"Oh, no. I _heard_ that you danced every dance, but I did not _see_ you dance every dance. That was the challenge."

"Well, of course, you did not _see_ it. _You_ were in Kent."

"So if you dance every dance this time I will see it. And Lydia tells us that with the militia gone there is a shortage of men to dance with. You will be doing a public service," Richard's smirk grew bigger.

"Richard is correct, Will," put in Lydia. "We do need dance partners."

"Please, Will," asked Kitty.

Will gave a sigh, but he was trying not to smile. "I survived the last assembly, I suppose I will survive this one. If I dance twice with Elizabeth and once with each of the other ladies here that should take care of nearly every dance."

"That is the spirit, Will," Richard laughed. "It is the gentlemanly thing to do. I expect to dance with all my fair cousins during the course of the evening, and with my soon-to-be sister as well. Of course, I have the first and last with Sophia."

"I shall _not_ be dancing this time," Uncle Bennet said firmly.

"I would say that is probably for the best, Mr. Bennet. I shall not dance either," said Aunt Bennet.

"If you are not dancing why would you go to an assembly, Uncle?" Teddy asked.

"I will go to watch my lovely daughters and nieces enjoy a pleasant evening with the family."

"May I come watch?"

"No, Teddy," I said. "It will be a late night and an assembly is no place for young boys. You will stay here and keep Edward and Franklin company that evening."

"That would be more fun, I think," he said. "Do we all get to go riding tomorrow?"

"We will save the long ride and the picnic for when Edward and Franklin can join in the fun," Richard said, "but a shorter ride would be a nice way to spend part of the day tomorrow. Elizabeth? Georgie? Will you join us?"

"Yes, I want to ride with you all!" said Georgiana, bouncing a bit in her seat.

"I know we brought my horse so I could ride with you," Elizabeth said, "but I am really not sure it is a good idea for me, at least not tomorrow. I am still tired from the trip. Would you like to use my horse, Mildred?"

"I think I would enjoy that. Thank you, Elizabeth," Mildred said.

"I am glad Jane and Grace have horses from Rosings. Will purchased my horse from the same breeder. They specialize in very gentle animals. Mildred will not be left behind if there are other horses of a similar temperament in the group."

"Thornapple has well trained horses too. Sophia and Kitty will be riding horses from my estate," Lydia said proudly.

"I will enjoy watching all of you ride off together tomorrow," Elizabeth said. "While you are gone I can sit here with Mama while we complain about all the problems of our shared condition."

"I may have to let you use my chair for a time while I escape to my study," Uncle Bennet said, trying not to laugh. "You never would discuss ribbons and lace with your mother, but now you have found an equally feminine topic."

"Thank you, Papa. I will look forward to trying out the new chair."

The company laughed and that seemed to break us up into smaller conversational groups. Simply stating we would ride seemed to be all the planning we needed for our next excursion. I would enjoy having Mildred along on the next ride. It was certainly a family event I could look forward to.


	95. Chapter 95

_AN: This chapter is dedicated to my mother in honor of her birthday. I missed posting yesterday on her actual birthday due to a crazy work schedule that cut into my writing time, but here it is today for her reading pleasure. Happy belated birthday, Mom!_

* * *

The various conversations lasted until luncheon and through the meal. After we ate, Teddy and Lydia convinced Will to visit the stables and take a look at all the new horses. The Darcys left Meryton just before Richard purchased Sooty, so Teddy wanted to introduce Sooty to Cousin Will. Richard and I trailed along after them.

Teddy brought Sooty out of his stall so Will could get a good look at him. He had already proudly displayed the handkerchief Kitty had embroidered with what he called Sooty's head on it. Now he had the chance to show off his pony in person.

"Well, he is a handsome pony," Will said as Teddy led Sooty into the yard. "I see why you named him Sooty. Those dark gray flecks on his back and in the white spot on his forehead do look like soot that has drifted out of the air to land all over him. Bring him over so I can take a closer look."

Teddy brought Sooty forward so Will could examine him as he would a potential purchase. He checked Sooty's teeth and then prompted him to lift his feet one at a time to look at the hooves. As he walked around the pony Will ran his hands over Sooty's back, then finished by giving him a good scratch under the chin.

"He looks healthy and I can tell he is being cared for very well. Do you have the grooms look after him all the time?"

"No, sir. Not all the time. Father taught me to brush him down and check his hooves for problems. Before every ride I look to make sure his shoes are secure and that all my tack is in good repair. Sometimes if we are doing something right after we ride I let the grooms take care of him, but I check on him every day. He is my friend, you see, and I have to make sure he is happy."

"That is a good attitude to take. I see he is also a very good size for you. You should be able to ride him comfortably for another four or five years, or at least until you hit your growth spurt. By then you may have a younger cousin who could care for him." Will said.

"Sooty is my pony," Teddy said in confusion. "Will I not be able to always ride him?"

Will looked to Richard, realizing he had gotten himself into a problem. Richard stepped forward to pat Teddy's shoulder.

"You do not need to worry for now, Teddy. Sooty is your pony and, as Will says, he will do well for you for a several years. When you get to be around fourteen or fifteen years old you will probably grow too tall for him to carry you comfortably and you will be ready for a horse instead of a pony. Sooty will still need regular exercise, so at that time you may choose to let another family member ride him and look after him."

Teddy nodded, but still looked a little troubled. He would probably have to think out whatever was still bothering him later.

"Now, walk him around the yard, Teddy," said Will. "I would like to see how he moves."

Teddy nodded again. He walked a few circles around the yard with Sooty following behind. Then he prompted Sooty into a trot after moving to the center of the area, uncoiling the lead rope so Sooty could make circles around him.

"That is good, Teddy," Will said, "Bring him back in. I can see he has a nice smooth gait. You chose very well when you picked him out."

"Actually, it was Old Satan who picked him out," said Richard with a chuckle. "He cut Sooty right out of the herd of ponies and brought him to Teddy."

"You let your horse pick Teddy's pony? Truly?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Truly," said Richard with a grin.

As they spoke, Teddy brought Sooty back to where we stood waiting. Lydia came out of the stable guiding Minerva. She had a few slices of apple in her hand and she handed them to Teddy. He gave them to Sooty as he took the pony back to his stall.

"Will, this is Minerva," Lydia said. "She is Sophia's horse, but she came from Thornapple. I wanted you to see the beautiful horses we raise and train on my estate."

"Very well, Mistress of Thornapple, show me this lovely horse." Will said with a smile.

He examined my Minerva in much the same way he had looked over Sooty, then Lydia held her lead and took the horse through her paces in the yard. Teddy had not come out right away, so I left Richard with Will as they watched my horse and I went in to find him. As I expected, he was standing in Sooty's stall, stroking the pony's nose and talking to him.

"Teddy?" I said, "Are you still bothered by the idea that you might outgrow Sooty?"

"Yes, Mother," he said quietly.

"Your father was correct that you do not need to worry about it happening now. Four or five years is a long time away. Being worried about something that far in the future will not help you. Growing up is just a part of life. You cannot change it by worrying."

"But Father and Cousin Will both said I will give Sooty away."

"You will not have to give him away unless you truly want to do so, Teddy. Because we have all been through that period of growing up we assume when the time comes you will want to pass Sooty on to someone you know will care for him the way you have. We will not force you to do so if you do not want to. We just think it is likely."

"You will not be disappointed with me if I keep Sooty?"

"I will not be disappointed and neither will your father. Cheer up now. I thought you were excited to have Cousin Will here."

He smiled at me, although I could still see a hint of his upset. "I am excited. I like Cousin Will. We should go out and hear what he thinks about Minerva."

I smiled back at him. "Well, if you fasten the door of Sooty's stall we can go do that."

0o0o0o0o

Will was impressed by Minerva and told Lydia she could be pleased with the product of her new estate. He said he looked forward to visiting Thornapple some time to see the other horses available there. As she put Minerva back in her stall she smiled happily at his approval. She knew she could show off Charm during our ride the next day.

Will asked Teddy to show him the tricks Teddy had learned to do with his hoop. After the demonstration, Will showed him a tricky way to spin the hoop like a top instead of rolling it. They worked together until Teddy could do the new trick easily.

Lydia had already gone back inside, but Richard and I stayed out to watch as Teddy learned his new hoop trick. Like Richard, Will was a patient teacher and was able to guide Teddy without being overbearing. I thought Will would make a good father when the time came. Of course, he already had some practice since he had helped raise Georgiana after their parents died.

Elizabeth was still feeling tired, so the Darcys and Bingleys decided to return to Netherfield instead of staying for dinner. Richard went along with them, although he was not going back directly. He wanted to look over a good route for us to take on our ride. They all promised to return in the mid-morning for the excursion. I was looking forward to it.

0o0o0o0o

The next day started cold with fog and threatened to be rainy, but by ten o'clock the fog had cleared and the sun made an appearance in a mackerel sky. It would be dry enough for our ride although that cloud layer would keep the day cooler.

Elizabeth arrived in the carriage, followed by the remaining members of the party on horseback with the exception of the Bingleys. Jane and Charles had decided to pass on today's ride and stayed home. Will dismounted long enough to settle his wife into Uncle Bennet's chair in the drawing room so she could chat with her mother. He returned quickly. By the time he did, Kitty, Lydia, Grace, Teddy and I had all brought our horses out and mounted. It was time to ride.

We divided into smaller groups as we headed out along the drive. Richard, Teddy and Will took the lead. Kitty, Lydia and Grace all wanted to ride near Georgiana. When we were on the lane and the trails there was not quite room for all four to ride in a clump, so they took turns riding next to her while Mildred and I brought up the rear.

"You are all doing very well despite having been riding for such a short time," Mildred said to me after we had galloped across one of Longbourn's pastures.

"We have been practicing almost daily," I told her. "Teddy and Lydia learned first, of course, so they are a bit more confident. Kitty, Grace and I have done our best to catch up. It helps to all have our own horses, and such good horses at that. Richard and Uncle Bennet have been teaching us to jump over the last two weeks. From something he said to Teddy yesterday, I think Richard may know of a few obstacles on this route for us to try. He is being very cautious and not letting us jump anything very high. In addition, we have all had to promise to only jump if he or Uncle Bennet is with us."

"That makes good sense. It is so easy to become overconfident. I could see Lydia trying one of the hedge gates and getting herself or her horse injured."

"She almost did just that the other day. Richard took her to task very severely and told her that if she tried jumping on her own he would ask Uncle Bennet to forbid her to ride again. She had a little mishap later when were practicing that convinced her of the wisdom of Richard's rules."

"She does learn better by experience than just being told."

"Yes, I was pleased that she received the lesson without either her or the horse getting hurt."

"Did I understand correctly when I heard Mr. Gardiner will be bringing two possible governess candidates with him next week?"

"Yes, he found two women he thinks are qualified and would fit in well here. Richard and I have agreed that Uncle Bennet can make first choice and if we think the second person will suit as governess for Grace _we_ will offer to hire her."

"I look forward to meeting both women. We will want to coordinate some of our lessons when it comes time to prepare the girls for their London season."

"I am concerned that Kitty, Lydia and Grace will not be fully ready by next spring. Lydia turns sixteen in July and Grace will not be sixteen until October. Kitty is only just barely seventeen. While they will be technically old enough for a season next spring, I know I would feel better if we waited another year, especially now that they have substantial dowries and will be more targeted by fortune hunters and the gossips."

"Mr. and Mrs. Darcy have been discussing that as well. Georgiana has matured and grown in confidence through her association with the Bennets, but she is still very young. With the child due in about three months they know they will probably not have much energy to spare for parties and balls this spring. They both intend to be very involved with the care of their child."

"I would expect nothing less from them, particularly Elizabeth. Is she doing well? I was worried by how tired she appeared yesterday."

"The travel took a great deal out of her. While she has long gotten over the queasiness, she does tire easily and does not always sleep well. She is feeling better today and was looking forward to the visit. I know she had several questions for her mother."

"I know Aunt Bennet looked forward to the visit as well. She is trying to understand her daughters now that she no longer has to be concerned over their futures. She and Kitty have become close while working on the household accounts and she always had a bond with Jane and Lydia. Now she has something in common with Elizabeth and it delights her."

"It appears you have become comfortable in the role of niece to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet."

"Both Richard and I have become very close to all the Bennets, particularly since the visit to Rosings. I could not love them more if they were blood relatives. I know Richard feels the same. You should have seen how tenderly he looked after Aunt Bennet when Uncle Bennet was injured."

"He did lose his mother at an early age. Now that Mrs. Bennet is calmer and more pleasant to be around I could see him looking to her as a mother figure."

"I will always miss my own mother, but I am pleased to have Aunt Bennet fill that role somewhat."

Just then Richard called out to the group. He was pointing at a low spot in the hedge.

"I am going to check out that spot and make sure it is clear for jumping. It looks the right height to give you practice. Hold off following until I give the all clear." He rode up to the hedge and peered over. With an approving nod he brought Old Satan around and back to where Teddy and Will were waiting. After a brief conversation Will brought his horse forward and took the jump.

"Will is going to keep an eye on that side of the hedge to make sure it remains safe. I will watch from this side. If I tell you to pull up, turn your horse and do not take the jump. It means something is wrong, so I want no arguments. Now, one at a time, please. Teddy, you can go first."

This was the highest obstacle we had tried yet. Richard had told us that to a certain point the actual height did not matter. We simply had to approach the obstacle with confidence and give the right signals to our horse through our posture and hold on the reins. Teddy cleared the hedge easily and the rest of us followed one by one. Richard offered a few hints but did not have anyone break off their approach. I was pleased we all made the jump successfully.

"Good work everyone," he said as he joined us on the far side of the hedge.

"Agreed," said Will. "You all landed with the proper form and posture. Very good work."

We returned to our little groups with all of the new riders, myself included, smiling at our accomplishment. We took three more obstacles on the ride, all of them successfully. It was a happy group that returned to Longbourn to find both Aunt Bennet and Elizabeth dozing in the drawing room.


	96. Chapter 96

On Friday Richard allowed Kitty, Lydia, Grace and Georgiana to go out riding by themselves after receiving their promise that none of them would do any jumping. Georgiana, who was a skilled horsewoman, protested being included in the promise.

"Why can _I_ not jump?" she asked Will and Richard. "I have been jumping since before I was Teddy's age."

"If your friends cannot jump, why do you wish to do so? Do you need to show off or rub it in their faces that they cannot?" Will asked her.

"Well, no. I just do not understand why I have to promise not to jump when I am not a beginner."

"I asked you to promise with them so that you will not be tempted to show off and they will not be tempted to break their promises when you do. You are the most skilled rider in the group and you need to be a proper example. Is that clear enough?" Richard asked.

"Yes, Richard," Georgiana said meekly. "I had not thought about that."

"So do I have your promise?"

"Yes, Richard. I promise I will not do any jumping while we are on our ride together."

"Very good. Then I hope the four of you have a pleasant ride." Richard answered.

After they left Will said, "I really should have thought about explaining to her why we were requesting the promise before we asked it of her. I just assumed she would understand."

"I did the same," Richard said. "I guess that is just another lesson in fatherhood for the both of us."

"I think you did well with it once you understood what she needed," I told them. "I think she needed both the warning not to show off and the reminder that she is essentially the leader of the group by virtue of her skill level, although I am sure Lydia will take charge of where they are going and what route they follow."

"She is a born leader," Richard agreed, "and the other three are followers. We may want to set up some situations that turn the situation around. I would not wish to squelch Lydia's leadership qualities, but the others need to learn how to lead and she needs to learn how to follow."

"Let us get Elizabeth involved and all four put our heads together to come up with ideas," Will suggested.

We collected both Elizabeth and Mildred from the drawing room and headed to the back parlor for tea and ideas. Teddy wanted to join us, but I told him it was adult business and suggested he see if Cousin Charles might want to join him for a game of marbles.

"Cousin Charles is an adult. Why is he not part of your business?" Teddy asked.

"He might be later. For now it is just the five of us who need to talk."

Teddy nodded and went off to see about that game. While the others headed to the back parlor I went to the kitchen to get our tea. Mrs. Hill had anticipated a call for tea and I found a tray already set up. They poured the hot water for me and I carried my tray off to the parlor. Richard and Will had just finished explaining the purpose of our meeting to Elizabeth and Mildred as I returned.

"So we want to give them all chances to act as a leader both to build confidence and to understand the responsibilities?" Elizabeth was asking.

Richard came over to take the tea tray from me as he answered, "Yes, that was the idea. After our experience with Georgie's reaction this morning we also need to be sure they understand what we are hoping for them. I do not think Lydia will step back or the others step forward unless they are clear about the purpose behind whatever tasks we assign to them."

Richard set the tray on a table they had arranged inside a circle of five chairs. I began to pour the tea as Elizabeth answered.

"I have been learning that Lydia and I are more alike than I ever imagined. I find it very difficult to step back and let others take the lead as I am sure Jane will tell you. In many ways the relationship Jane and I had growing up was very similar to the relationship between Lydia and Kitty except that Jane displayed more sense and good judgment, being less likely to let me lead her into trouble. You are correct that we will need to fully explain our purpose to Lydia and even if she agrees, acting as a follower will be a difficult role for her." She turned to me, "Just plain tea, please, Sophia. I have found my preferences have changed a bit lately," she smiled as she accepted her plain cup of tea.

"You are correct that it will be difficult for her," I said, "although I think it will be less so than it might have been six months ago. She has learned to accept directions and assistance from others. It is doing so with the other girls that will be hard because they have formed habits related to their roles in the group. Whatever activity we do will need some kind of reminder built in to help them all remember the expected result."

"We should start fairly small," said Richard. "Keep the stakes low and the likelihood of success high."

"We should also not try to fit everything into the one week we have before the wedding," said Will with slight chuckle. We might need a few projects for them to do by post and then we can arrange other times when all four of them can be together."

"I think the first step is to talk to them," Mildred said. "Let them know this is part of their training for their coming out. Each of them should be confident to take the lead in any situation and they need to trust one another enough to follow whoever is the leader of the moment. That way they are prepared whether they are walking into a sticky social situation or just going shopping together. With four potential leaders and some method of agreeing who is the leader at any given time we can trust them to protect one another any time we cannot be with them."

"Agreed," I said, "and speaking of the coming out. I truly believe all four of them would be better off if we wait an additional year. They are too young to marry right away and that is the primary purpose of the season. If they are a little more mature before heading into the whirlwind, they will be less likely to make foolish choices."

"I agree. I would also like to see if we can include Maria Lucas in some of the schooling and the eventual come out in London. I told Charlotte I would help her sister have a chance at finding a good match and the London season with the other girls would be the most effective way," Elizabeth added.

"Do you think Sir William and Lady Lucas would be willing to hire a governess for Miss Lucas? Can they afford to? Miss Lucas will need training as well as participation in some of the activities we give the girls as a group," Will asked.

"I think they can afford it," Elizabeth asserted. "Lady Lucas just never saw the need, in part because _our_ family never had a governess. If we assure her Maria will be able to have a London season and insist a governess, or companion really at this point, is necessary to prepare her then they will hire one. When you interview the candidates Uncle Gardiner is bringing, you will probably want to ask how they will feel about working with Mildred, each other and whoever Lady Lucas finds. Much as we want the girls to be an effective team, we also want the companions to be a team."

"Are we all agreed then to wait until spring of 1814 for their come out?" Richard asked.

"Agreed," Elizabeth, Will and I all said.

"I think Uncle Bennet will agree as well," Richard added. "Of course, since we will be hosting Kitty and Lydia between us then the decision really is ours. I am not sure the girls will be very happy about the change."

"Actually I think Grace will find it a relief," I said. "Their excitement over the come out has largely come from Lydia. I have seen Grace looking very nervous when they have discussed the coming season."

"Georgiana as well," confirmed Elizabeth. "I do not know for sure about Kitty, but she will go along with our decision. I expect she knows she is not really ready."

"I have an idea for how to present it to Lydia," said Richard with a grin.

"Do tell," I asked.

"We of course mention the need for additional training, but we also remind her she will be very busy with her first spring in charge of Thornapple. She wants to be involved in the estate and she cannot do both."

We all laughed with Richard. He had hit on the perfect solution for Lydia. It would mean guaranteeing a trip to Thornapple for her, but I was curious to see the place myself.

"So our first step is to talk to the four of them," said Mildred. "Explain both the delay and our reasons for wanting each of them to gain experience as leaders of their little group."

"Yes," said Richard. "I think we should address that when they come back from the ride. Although perhaps we should ask how it went first, and see if Georgie did take charge."

"Do you think a riding related challenge would work for Georgiana's first turn being leader?" Will asked. "She does have the most experience riding."

"Perhaps a partnership with Kitty," I suggested. "Between the two of them they can plan a route for tomorrow's ride with a variety of terrains. Kitty can be the pathfinder and Georgie can look for safe challenges to increase their confidence while riding. Lydia will need to agree to accept their directions and keep her own impatience in check."

"Can we trust them jumping small obstacles, Richard?" Elizabeth asked. "Maybe set a height limit for them?"

Richard looked very nervous about the idea. "Hmm. I do not like the idea of letting them jump without supervision. I know I could do very little if there were an accident, just as I could not stop Uncle Bennet from being thrown when his horse reared. I just somehow feel I need to be there."

"That is your need to lead showing itself," I said with a smile.

He looked at me in surprise then chuckled. "I suppose you are correct. Do I need to step back for a moment and let them try?"

"I do not want to give them carte blanche," said Will, "but from what I saw yesterday they are all four capable. I feel exactly as you do about wanting to be there just in case, but like you I know I could do little if there really was an accident. I vote we give them a height limit and let them learn from Georgie. She knows what dangers to look for and if we remind her that as the leader she is responsible for being careful for the others then she will be vigilant."

"I agree," said Elizabeth, "if we want them to truly lead there needs to be a reason to behave responsibly. Although, I think Papa should have a vote on this one before we give them their instructions."

Richard took a deep breath. "Very well. Elizabeth and Will, would you discuss it with your father? I am still reluctant enough I cannot make a good case for it and that would not be fair to the girls. I do insist that Teddy not be part of their expedition. He and Lydia together would make too much of a challenge for Georgie's first command, no matter much they promise to obey."

"We will do that," said Will. "I think you should give the instructions to the girls."

We all finished our tea and talked about some other ideas for leadership projects. We did not want anything too complex or dangerous. Just tasks that required a clear leader, especially if the task included a special skill one of the young ladies might be more accomplished in than the others.

Uncle Bennet agreed to the project and gave permission for jumping over low obstacles during the expedition the following day. He provided a rough map of Longbourn and the surrounding estates that Kitty and Georgiana could use in planning their jaunt.

When the girls returned we spoke with them about our decision to push their London season back a year. As we expected, Lydia was the only one who did not look relieved. She did accept Richard's explanation that she would be needed to work on Thornapple next spring and set the tone for her whole operation. They also accepted our plan to help each of them develop as both a leader and a follower. When we assigned Kitty and Georgie to work together to plan the excursion for the following day they all liked the idea. We asked Grace to help Lydia by warning her when she tried to step back into the role of leader and suggested they develop a signal to use. Lydia agreed to pay attention, especially after she learned they would be allowed to jump up to a height Richard would demonstrate for them right before they left.

I knew there would be trials ahead for each of them as we worked on their new skills. At least we had their agreement and were off to a good start. Kitty and Georgiana took the map into Uncle Bennet's study to work out their route while Lydia and Grace giggled over a number of very silly signals before deciding on one that would work for them both. Lydia promised she would try to support her sister and cousin instead of getting in their way.

After Richard left that evening I realized I had forgotten once again to ask him about for when the Gardiner boys arrived. We just never seemed to find any time alone with so many people visiting. The few times we were nearly on our own Teddy was within earshot and I could tell Richard wanted whatever he had in mind to be a surprise for Teddy. I would just have to see if an opportunity arose or wait and be surprised myself.

0o0o0o0o

Kitty and Georgiana came up with a very good route for their ride. They cleared it with Uncle Bennet in case they were missing important information. He offered a few suggestions but let them decide what to include.

When they started out on the ride Richard wanted to follow a discrete distance behind. Will and I stopped him, reminding him he would be giving the message that he did not trust them. After a few moments of thought he relented. Together he and Will took Teddy out for a ride in a different direction.

The four girls returned elated with the success of their ride. The route included places where they could try different speeds and terrain as well as a few jumps at the accepted height. The excursion was challenging to more than just their riding ability.

"I never thought it would be so hard to let someone else take the lead," Lydia said after they had changed out of their riding clothes and come down to the drawing room to report on their trip. "I was glad Grace and I had set up that signal. I honestly wanted to let Georgie lead, but still found myself trying to direct our group. Grace had to use the signal far more often than I ever expected she would."

"We thought it might be difficult for you," Will said. "If you remember, I have the same problem. That is one reason why I stayed in the dower house instead of at Netherfield when Bingley first came here. If I was at the house I would have taken over and he would have never learned how to run things. Being able to lead is a good thing, but being able to step back and let others lead or to follow them is also an important skill."

"I liked being in charge of the expedition," offered Georgiana, "but it was also difficult. I felt responsible not just for everyone's safety, but for whether they would enjoy the trip or not."

"We did enjoy it," Lydia insisted, "and we stayed safe. You were a success."

Georgiana nodded. "I will need more practice."

"You will have it," Richard confirmed.

0o0o0o0

On Sunday morning the banns were read for the third and final time. Once again Teddy craned his head to look around and make sure all was well.

"No one objected, Mother," he said happily as we exited the church.

"I am very glad of that," I said. "I would hate to have the wedding delayed after all the planning Aunt Bennet, Kitty, Lydia and Grace have put into it."

"They have spent a lot of time planning. Aunt Bennet said they need to visit Netherfield several times next week to make sure the ballroom is decorated correctly. Mrs. Hill says everything is ready to set up and it will look beautiful."

"I am sure it will," I told him. "What is most important to me is that Richard and I will be married and we will be sharing that time with our family and friends. The decorations and the food are pleasant extras."

"I am glad Edward and Franklin are coming tomorrow. We will have fun this week."

"Yes, I think you will."

Richard caught up with us then. He had stopped to speak with Mr. Archer the magistrate for a few moments as we left the church. Together we boarded one of the family carriages and headed back with our group for another Sunday luncheon at Longbourn. The banns had been read and everything was prepared. In a week and a day Richard and I would be married.


	97. Chapter 97

Richard arrived earlier than I expected on Monday morning. I saw him from the nursery window and decided to get a few moments with him for myself. Teddy was reading an assignment I had given him, so I just told him to keep on with his reading and I would be back.

I greeted Richard as he was dismounting in front of the stable. "I am very glad to see you, but why are you here so early?"

He handed Old Satan's reins to the groom saying, "I had a few things to take care of here before everyone showed up."

"Would they have something to do with the surprise you are planning for the three boys? I have been meaning to ask you about it ever since Teddy mentioned having Edward and Franklin ride on Sooty in the yard. We just always seem to be surrounded by people lately."

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "I should have known you would pick up on that. Yes, I do have a plan," he told me.

"You told Will about it. Perhaps you could tell me?"

He laughed. "I am pleased you read me so well, but it will make it difficult if I ever wish to surprise _you_. Thank you for not asking about it in front of Teddy."

I smiled and lifted an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes," he said, "my surprise. I actually had to wait until I had an answer back from the Gardiners to finish my preparations. I received a letter with permission on Thursday. All three boys will get a chance to do a little riding together. I have arranged with Mr. Archer to rent two of his gentlest ponies this week along with tack. They are to be delivered shortly. Do you think you can keep Teddy occupied and away from a window for the next hour or so?"

I laughed with joy. "What a marvelous surprise for all three boys! Of course I will keep him occupied. I have him reading right now. We will settle in for some writing practice. Well done, Richard!" I quickly kissed him and slipped away back upstairs. I heard Richard's pleased chuckle behind me as I went.

Teddy _was_ still reading and was unaware of Richard's arrival. I kept him at his reading for a time and then we moved to work on his writing, followed by a Latin lesson. He was doing very well at all of his lessons. As we finished up with Latin it was time for him to have a break. I was just realizing I had not come up with some kind of signal from Richard so I would know it was safe to let Teddy go outside when Richard solved the problem by joining us in the nursery.

"I rode ahead of the Netherfield party in hopes of having some time with you both," Richard said after Teddy and I greeted him. He gave me a wink over Teddy's head that told me the ponies had arrived. I guessed they were placed far enough from Sooty that Teddy was not likely to find them by accident if he went to the stable.

"We just finished my Latin lesson. Mother and I were about to make sure everything in the nursery is where it should be to welcome Edward, Franklin and Bethany," Teddy told him.

"Let us get to it, then," Richard answered with a grin. "What needs doing?"

Teddy directed him on moving the beds into the configuration that Lydia and Kitty had placed them for the Gardiner's visit at Christmas, leaving a corner near Bethany's bed where she could play quietly and an open space between the bed next to Bethany's and the other two beds in the opposite corner so the three boys would have a play space. The table went into the area opposite Bethany's corner and all the books, papers and toys that belonged to the nursery were neatly put on the shelves in the far wall. Teddy had a cupboard for his own toys, which were all carefully arranged.

"I think we are still missing something," Richard said as we surveyed the completed work.

"What is that, Father?" asked Teddy, confused.

"Well, I see your hoop and stick here by the wall, but with three boys it may be hard all playing with it at once. If you run down to the entry I think you will find two more hoops there, waiting for the two Gardiner boys. Y0ou can show them your tricks more easily if they can practice on their own.

Teddy gave a whoop of delight and headed off to the entry to collect the two hoops. Richard took advantage of the moment to give me a kiss. We separated as we heard Teddy in the hall.

"That was good thinking, Richard," I told him as Teddy came in carrying the hoops. "I was a little concerned there might be some tension if all three shared the one hoop."

"Teddy is looking forward to this visit. I did not want there to be any unnecessary arguments. This should keep the boys happy and let them run off any extra energy."

"Thank you for bringing the hoops for Edward and Franklin, Father. We will enjoy playing together in the yard."

"I think you should mark each of the hoops as well. I know I saw a paintbox when we put things away. If you mark the inside of your hoop and the end of your stick with one color and each of the other sets with different colors there will be no question of who owns each hoop."

Teddy nodded and ran to get the paintbox. I looked at Richard questioningly. His idea made sense, but I wondered why he brought it up.

"Wickham used to always manage to take Will's things or mine after he broke his own if they were not properly marked. I do not expect similar problems with these three boys, but it hurts nothing to be prepared."

"That makes sense to me," I told him with a smile.

Richard held each hoop while Teddy painted a colored line inside. I put a dot of each color on the ends of the beating sticks. We set them aside to dry.

"Does it look right now, Father?" Teddy asked.

"Yes, son, it does," Richard answered.

We stopped in the back parlor where Grace was reading while Kitty and Lydia worked on accounts with their parents. She agreed to accompany us as we headed outside to take a walk while waiting for the Gardiners to arrive.

0o0o0o0o

Our little family walk was a pleasant change from all the big group activities we had been doing. Richard told us a few stories of adventures he and Will had embarked on around Pemberley when they were boys. I could tell he avoided stories about Mr. Wickham although I could hear the gaps in the stories where a third boy had been with them.

Teddy showed us his favorite fishing spot along the stream. I was pleased to see it would be a safe enough place for the three boys. There was a small sandy spit that had built up on our side of the stream and a pool had formed out of an eddy above the spit. At about four feet wide, it was probably the widest part of the stream, although it was so shallow they would be in no danger. As Uncle Bennet said, the rest of the stream was only two to three feet wide. From what I could see it was no more than a foot deep anywhere and generally only three to four inches deep.

We saw the osprey flying overhead and Richard told us about an abandoned nest he and Will once found that was almost as tall as they were as boys of twelve.

"It was really just a big mound of twigs and sticks with a little nest area at the top," he told us. "I do not know why the birds built it so tall."

Teddy was very interested by the size of the nest. I suggested we could find a book on birds of prey at some point. He could do some research and write a report about the different birds. He wanted to do it right away, but I told him we did not have the right book at the moment. A trip to the bookstore would be needed to find one.

Our return was perfectly timed. The Gardiner and Burrows carriages had just pulled into the drive as we came up. Mr. Gardiner got out and handed out his wife and the nurse with his daughter before Edward and Franklin tumbled free of the confined space. Teddy took off at a run to greet them and was telling them about the hoops almost before he was in earshot.

Daniel handed Mary out of their carriage followed by two women I did not recognize, but assumed were the prospective governesses. Richard and I stepped forward to greet them all as Kitty and Lydia came out of the house to greet their aunt and uncle.

"Glad you made it here safely," said Richard as he approached Daniel. "You made good time it seems, unless you left at daybreak as Darcy is wont to do."

Daniel smiled, "No, we left at a little more reasonable hour. We waited until after breakfast, at least."

I greeted Mary, who introduced me to the other two ladies. Mrs. Burton looked to be in her early thirties. She was tall and slender, with golden brown hair and hazel eyes. She had probably been a very pretty young woman, but now she had the look of someone who has cried a bit too much, giving her a pale, washed out complexion, which was made stronger by the black clothing she wore. I thought it likely she was a recent widow who now needed to earn her keep. Miss Patton may have been a year or two younger, and had a rounder, more wide-eyed aspect to her. Her hair might be called carroty, being a coppery red and the green eyes and freckles completed the look. Her smile was cheerful, although I could tell she was a bit nervous. I welcomed them both and then introduced Grace, who had come up behind us. Kitty and Lydia came over to greet Mary and they were introduced as well.

Teddy had taken Edward and Franklin up to the nursery to look at the hoops, followed by a warning from Richard to make sure the paint was fully dry before they handled them. The Gardiner's nurse followed behind them up the stairs with Bethany.

I offered to take Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton up to the rooms we prepared for them so they could refresh themselves and settle in. When we got to the guest wing I opened the first of the bedroom doors and ushered Mrs. Burton inside.

"We have you right next to each other for now," I told them. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Whichever of you ends up staying here at Longbourn will probably move into my room after my wedding. It is a little bit larger and is also in closer proximity to Kitty and Lydia's rooms. This is a very comfortable and informal household and I am sure you will find the other staff very kind to you."

Miss Patton looked at me a little nervously, "I do not mean any offense, but did I understand correctly that you first came here as governess to Miss Bennet and Miss Lydia?"

"I find nothing to be offended by. I did first come here to be their governess and met my betrothed during the course of my duties. I expect Mr. Gardiner has told you his nieces were very much in need of guidance. Both have improved greatly and now they require polish to help prepare them for a London season."

"I thought I heard them refer to you as their cousin?" she continued.

"I shall be their cousin through marriage as their second eldest sister is married to my betrothed's cousin. The family has also adopted me as a niece and cousin. As I said, it is a comfortable household and they are kind and generous employers."

"What of the other young lady? Miss Grace?" asked Mrs. Burton.

"She is my sister. We are hoping, if everyone is agreeable, that one of you will choose to become her governess and return to Kent with us. Of course, there is no obligation, but it is certainly something to consider while you are here. Would you like me to send you up some tea? I imagine the drawing room will be rather noisy, especially when the Bingleys and Darcys arrive and the whole extended family is together."

"Yes, if you please," said Mrs. Burton. "I am afraid the trip left me a little overwhelmed. I would appreciate the chance to sit in quiet and have some tea."

"Of course. Miss Patton?"

"I would like to go down and see the rest of the family if I would not be in the way."

"The room will be rather full, so we will open the doors to the music room. If you wish to be part of the group but a little out of the crowd there are a few chairs near the doors that will work."

"That sounds just right," she said with a smile.

"Did you need to refresh yourself first or would you like to come down with me while I see about the tea?"

"I will come down shortly," she said.

I gave her directions to the music room, then went down to see Mrs. Hill about having tea sent up. I hoped Mrs. Burton was simply nervous about the job and not a poor traveler. I had a feeling the governess in either case would need to travel frequently between visits to family and trips to the estates.

By the time I reached the drawing room the Darcys and Bingleys had arrived. I went in through the music room, opening the doors to make a little more space. Richard came over and we sat on a settee just inside the room. Mrs. Gardiner made her way over to us.

"Thank you for seeing to the comfort of the two ladies, Miss York. I know Fanny would have thought of it eventually, but her condition is probably making her a little more scatter-minded than usual. I know I was at that stage with all three children."

"It was certainly no trouble and I was glad to have a few moments to speak with them both."

"Do you think one of them will do for Grace?" Richard asked. Mrs. Gardiner looked at me questioningly.

"It is too early to say, but I did mention the possibility to them. I wanted both to be a little less nervous about not gaining a position and to be thinking about where they would be a better fit."

"I think you will find they are both qualified," Mrs. Gardiner said. "I do not really know your sister or her temperament, but from Kitty and Lydia's letters I know they both think highly of her. I was amazed at your influence when I started actually receiving letters from Kitty and Lydia."

"I think you will be delighted by their improvement overall, not just the letters," I said.

She smiled at us both. "I have also enjoyed young Teddy's letters to the boys. It is clear he adores you both and he is excited to be part of a family."

"He has also been very excited to spend some time with your sons. He has spent too much time around adults while having very few contacts with boys his age."

"It is actually the same for my boys. I do not feel comfortable letting them play in the street or with the other children in the neighborhood. They are fortunate to have each other. Sharing time and games with Teddy at Christmas made it the best visit they have ever had here. They have been able to talk about little else beyond this visit for the last few weeks. If they knew about the ponies I could never have gotten them to do any of their work."

"I am looking forward to seeing the surprise on all three of their faces this afternoon," Richard said with a grin.

"Did you read the letter he wrote to me begging for permission to have them ride Sooty?"

"I did not," said Richard, "but Sophia told me about it. Our boy knows he has fallen into great good fortune at being adopted and he is desperate for friends and to share his joy. He is a very good boy and almost seems too sweet tempered at times, but I would not have him change."

"He was fortunate brother Bennet took him in when his parents died, but I can see how having an actual family instead just being allowed stay on the estate could make a difference. Of course I know it was his courage and good humor that drew you to him, so he earned his place in a way."

"He did," Richard said. "Of course it also turns out he is Sophia's cousin as well. I still have to confirm the details and process for him to gain his inheritance, but he ended up being the heir to Sophia's family estate."

"That is quite a twist. You did not know this until after you adopted him?"

"No, we found out on his birthday," I said. "He is a distant cousin, but we are family just the same."

"Ah, is that what he was talking about when he said he had a responsibility to the stone land just like his Father did to Rosings?"

I chuckled, "Yes, it took him a few days to remember the estate is Stone Landing, not the stone land."

Mrs. Gardiner smiled. "Miss York, in the spirit of adopted families I would like to ask two things of you."

"Please do," I answered.

"Would you consider me both your friend and family and call me Madeline?"

"If you will do the same and call me Sophia," I leaned against Richard slightly and added, "Of course, he is no longer the colonel, so you must call him Richard."

"Very well, then, Sophia and Richard, would you allow us to take Teddy back to town with us for a couple weeks after your wedding? It will give you a chance at a little bit of a honeymoon and the three boys can be together a little longer. I think Mary intends to ask Grace to join them. I would very much like to see Rosings Park, so we could visit for two or three days when we bring them both back to you if you were willing."

I looked at Richard, who nodded. "Thank you, Madeline. We accept your offer and look forward to your visit. Rosings has probably improved from your expectations of it, but I think you will still find it impressive in one way or another," I said.

"I am sure I shall."

Miss Patton entered the music room and we gestured her over to join us. She took the indicated seat and looked at the gathered family in astonishment.

"You were not joking about it being a crowd," she said.

Madeline, Richard and I all laughed. "Do you mind crowds?" I asked her.

"Oh, no. I enjoy being around people. I was just not expecting so many. It looks more like a dinner party or other social gathering."

"We do really make up a party of our own these days," Richard said. "I am honored to have so much family at our wedding. Of course it may be some time before all of us are together like this again. The Bingleys will be returning to Derbyshire for a visit with my cousin Darcy and his family. They will probably be moving to that area in a month or two. When Sophia and I are married we will be returning to our home in Kent and Grace will live there with us. Mary and Daniel will return to town with the Gardiners, so Longbourn will be down to just Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and the two young ladies."

"Longbourn will be quieter than it has been in the almost twenty years since Mary was born," Madeline added.

"Does the family go out much?" Miss Patton asked.

"Yes," I told her, "there are often gatherings in the neighborhood and there is usually an assembly on the last full moon of each quarter, as there will be tomorrow. There are only four and twenty primary families in the area, but all are very hospitable. We have stayed at Longbourn more of late because of Aunt Bennet's condition, but that will change, especially with a governess who can be trusted to look after the young ladies."

"What about your estate in Kent?"

Richard answered, "I recently inherited it from an aunt who was a rather unpleasant woman. She managed to offend most of her neighbors. Sophia and I will have to mend bridges before there is much socializing to be had. We visited as a family recently to look into the situation at the estate and did make a start with a few of the neighbors. I imagine it will be several months before we really start going out regularly. We have much to do at the estate."

"Rosings Park is a very large estate," I added, "and it requires much work to become a comfortable home."

Miss Patton looked thoughtful. I could tell she liked the idea of having more frequent company. If she preferred Longbourn the question would be how she would handle Lydia. She would need a good backbone for that. We would have to wait and see.

Mrs. Hill let us know that luncheon was ready. Still chattering happily the company went into the dining room to enjoy a light meal together. I suggested to Richard and Madeline that we could take the boys out to meet the ponies after the meal. I wanted to see the looks on their faces as much as Richard did. Teddy's joy over the hoops would be nothing to this.


	98. Chapter 98

After the children had their luncheon in the nursery, Teddy came downstairs and asked if he could introduce Edward and Franklin to Sooty. Richard told him to bring his friends down and motioned Uncle Bennet, Mr. Gardiner and Madeline over. Will and Elizabeth chose to trail along as well, knowing what was coming. We went outside and Richard stepped into the stable while we waited for the boys to come down.

"Where is Father?" Teddy asked when they arrived. "He said he wanted to supervise when the three of us were with Sooty." He looked around. "Why have all of you come outside?"

"You will see in a few moments, Teddy?" I told him with a grin. "Just wait here until Richard returns."

The three boys stood in the yard facing the stables, while the adults arranged themselves so they could watch their faces. A few moments later, Richard came out leading two saddled ponies while a groom followed behind with Sooty.

"Where did those ponies come from?" Teddy asked in surprised confusion.

"They are on loan from Mr. Archer," Richard answered. "Like the hoops, one pony is hard to share among three boys. Edward and Franklin's parents agreed to let me borrow these ponies so you can all ride together under my supervision."

It took a moment to sink in, but when it did the cheers from all three boys were loud. I was surprised it did not startle the ponies, but they just shifted a bit and took the noise in stride.

"Quiet down a bit, boys," Richard said. "They are very gentle, but you do not wish to scare them by shouting. This one is called Spice," he gestured with his head to the pony on his right who was dark reddish-brown in color. Then he gestured to the white pony on his left. "This one is Sugar. I think we will put you on Spice, Edward, and Franklin will ride Sugar."

Richard had clearly planned for the meeting with the ponies. A second groom came forward with some apple slices for all three boys, since Teddy would not want Sooty to be left out. Richard suggested Teddy bring Sooty around and show his friends how to greet their ponies and feed them the apple slices. Edward and Franklin quickly followed suit with their ponies and were soon talking to them and scratching under their chins. Those of us watching were smiling almost as broadly as the boys.

Richard gave them time to become comfortable with their new friends and then he asked Teddy to demonstrate how to mount. Edward and Franklin both watched carefully as Teddy mounted and dismounted several times as Richard directed. When Richard indicated it was time, Will stepped forward to help Franklin while Richard helped Edward. Just as Teddy had done, the two boys were instructed to mount and dismount a few times to become familiar with the motions.

Finally they were allowed to sit on the ponies while Richard and Will led them around the yard. I think there would have been more cheering, but they were trying to stay quiet. I saw Madeline shed a few tears of joy at seeing how happy her sons were with their new activity. The boys all sat proudly on the ponies with grins that could have split their faces.

The rest of us eventually went inside while Richard and Will proceeded to give the boys a good first lesson in riding. I knew they would not be doing more than walking this first day, but I expected that would be enough for them.

"I have not ridden since I was in my teens," said Mr. Gardiner as we went in. "It is good to see my sons enjoying the activity."

"It was very thoughtful of Richard to arrange for the two ponies," Madeline added. "I am sure they would have been content with a few trips around the yard on Sooty, but this will be even more fun for them."

"I know he wants Teddy to enjoy this visit," I told them. "He and Will also had to share with another boy who caused problems for them when they were younger. He said he knew that would not be an issue with your sons, but he still felt better removing any possible tension between them."

"Where did the ponies come from?" Lydia asked as we entered the drawing room. "I saw them through the window."

"Richard rented them from Mr. Archer for a few days," I answered. "The boys are only allowed to ride if Richard or Will are with them."

"Teddy will love that," Lydia said happily. "He has been so excited at having our cousins visit."

"I had picked up on that," I said with a chuckle. "After all, he has said so a few dozen times an hour. Daniel, Teddy told us you were going to teach him some tricks with the hoop. Richard has provided hoops for the other two boys as well, so you will have three students."

Daniel smiled. "I am looking forward to it. I used to be the best in my neighborhood with the hoop when I was a boy. It is good exercise and I always enjoyed doing the tricks."

"I have been teaching Teddy to play marbles," Charles put in. "Do your boys already know how to play, Gardiner?"

"Yes, they have tournaments together in our back garden. I am sure they will have fun playing with Teddy. It is always nice to challenge yourself against a new opponent."

The talk then turned to other things. Mrs. Burton had come down for luncheon and was now sitting with Miss Patton, Kitty, Lydia and Grace. I was glad the young ladies were making an effort to get to know the women who would probably become their governesses. I joined them.

"How are all of you getting along?" I asked.

"We do not seem to have scared them away yet," Lydia said with a grin.

"I think you will find we are both made of sterner stuff than that," Miss Patton said teasingly. "My last charge could be an absolute terror. You are not frightening at all."

"We used to be," Lydia admitted. "Sophia had to be very strict with us at first. You have met Mrs. Annesley. Just before Sophia arrived Kitty and I got into some trouble and our father and Will decided we had to have a governess to make us see sense. Georgiana was confined to her room with a broken arm, so Will loaned Mrs. Annesley to our family while my sister Mary went to keep Georgie company. We were confined to the nursery until our behavior improved and when Sophia came she took charge of me while Mrs. Annesley took charge of Kitty. It took us, well mostly me, a while to settle down and learn to behave properly in company. I can still be a little too boisterous, but I am trying to do better."

Both ladies looked a little surprised at Lydia's candor. Lydia understood their look and added, "I know I would generally not mention all that in company, but you are here to be interviewed as our governesses, so you need to know what challenges you face."

"Lydia is correct," I said, "although I probably would not have informed you in quite that way. From my own experience I expect you are both concerned about finding your next position and may be willing to take _any_ place that feels safe. I also know from experience that you are better off finding a place that is a good fit for your personality. As Lydia said, she is working hard to do better, but she does need help learning what is appropriate, especially in the context of a London season."

"Will the young ladies be coming out together this next spring?" Mrs. Burton asked.

"They will be coming out together, along with Miss Darcy and possibly the daughter of their closest neighbor as well. This spring is too soon for many reasons, so we are planning on spring of 1814. That gives plenty of time for them to learn what they need."

"As you are being open, might one ask what kind of trouble Miss Lydia was in?" Miss Patton asked.

I nodded to Lydia and she responded. "There was a militia unit here and Kitty and I were spending too much time flirting with the officers. Mama indulged me and allowed me to come out at the same time as Kitty although I was really too young. We gained a reputation in the neighborhood for being rather wild and noisy. One of the officers I was flirting with used me to get information about Will and Georgiana so he could try to kidnap Georgie and force her to marry him for her dowry. Georgie and my sister, Lizzy, were both hurt when he attacked them although they fought him off with help from Teddy. That was when my father realized how we were behaving and decided we needed help to learn to be better."

"So you had never had a governess before?"

"No, Miss Patton," Kitty said. "Mama taught us what she knew and our older sisters learned from Aunt Gardiner when they went to visit her. We were not very close to our other sisters until Sophia came and we would not listen to them when they tried to teach us. Everyone in the family has changed for the better as we have all learned and grown together."

"You were not trained from a young age or expected to have a season in town, then," Mrs. Burton said. "What has changed?"

"A few things," Kitty answered. "First, Lizzy married Will. He owns an important estate and his sister, Georgie, has a large dowry. She has been trained all her life. Now that we are her sisters we will share the season with her. We have also both recently received dowries that are likely to make us the targets of fortune hunters. That is why we need to learn to behave as expected in town and in a way that no one can trap us into marriage based on our behavior or lack of knowledge."

"Well, an important part of that is you are already aware you need to be careful. The young ladies in greatest danger are those who either do not know or do not care that a man might want them only for what they have," said Mrs. Burton. "Those girls can be persuaded into elopements. Without the protection of a settlement they can lose everything." She paused and then added. "As I well know."

"Were you one of the girls who did not know?" Lydia asked kindly.

Mrs. Burton looked at us all nervously, but answered, "Yes. I was prepared to show off my accomplishments and looked forward to the parties and meeting people. I assumed everyone was exactly as they presented themselves. Even if I had been warned I am not sure I would have believed that the gentlemen who complimented me and declared their undying love were simply after my dowry. When I ran off to Gretna with the most charming of the scoundrels my uncle released my dowry and told me I would have to live with my choices as he disowned me due to the scandal." She looked as if she was waiting for us to throw her out as well.

Kitty reached over and patted her hand gently. "Did your husband use up all your money?"

"Yes," she said sadly, "and what he did not use went to his brother after my husband was killed trying to win some foolish bet. I had no settlement. My uncle stuck to his determination to give me no help so I found work as a companion to an older widow. She treated me well enough although the pay was small. I had a roof over my head and food enough to eat. She passed away last month and I have been looking for other work since then."

"Are you wearing mourning for her?" Lydia asked.

Mrs. Burton smiled, "No. All my clothes are black because that is how she insisted I dress. She liked the household very quiet and somber." My guess that she was grieving widow had been wrong. It seemed she had not really grieved either her husband or her employer, but she may have been very upset over her prospects in life.

"So do you think you have learned how to spot fortune hunters and protect your charge?" I asked her.

"I saw enough of my late husband's companions in their unguarded moments to be skeptical of any man who comes across as too charming or who insists on an immediate marriage because he is dying of love," she chuckled lightly. "That was Mr. Burton's excuse for the elopement."

Lydia and Kitty both rolled their eyes, causing Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton to laugh. "So you think you would not fall for that one?" Miss Patton asked in a slightly challenging tone.

"Oh, we probably would have last year," Lydia admitted with a grin. "If Mr. Wickham had said that to me with all his other charming compliments I would have run away with him without a second thought. Of course, at the time, I did not have enough of a dowry to make me worth marrying, so he would have simply ruined me. Kitty and I are amused because we know better now."

"Yes," agreed Kitty, "my favorite of the officers turned out to be part of a smuggling ring. He was just making up to me because he thought he could convince me to give him my virtue. He might have succeeded if Sophia had not come to teach us better."

"I have not had the experience they had," said Grace, "but I saw what happened to mother because her settlement and our dowries had not been clearly marked out in Father's will. They were set aside for us, but without the legal identification of them in the will, Mother, Sophia and I were left with nothing but what Sophia could earn as a governess. I know to be very careful. Although we now have a large family who would help us if we ran into trouble, it is better to avoid the trouble in the first place."

"My experience is more in line with yours," said Miss Patton. "It was my mother who married without benefit of a settlement. My father provided me with a dowry, but I was still unmarried in my third season when he died of illness. My mother lives on my dowry while I have become a governess. My last position ended well as the young lady made a good marriage, but I am in need of another."

"So it seems you both have the right qualifications as a protector for our young ladies," Uncle Bennet said from his seat nearby. I knew he had been listening to the conversation with interest. "Now the question is whether you both have the accomplishments they will need and the ability to teach."

"Proving our accomplishments should be easy enough," said Miss Patton. "How would you like us to prove our teaching ability?"

Uncle Bennet gave me a conspiratorial look that I understood a moment later when he said, "I think that will be for the girls to decide. Grace, will you be the leader? I would like you to work with Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana to come up with four situations in which you would like instruction and that you think would give us an idea of their teaching ability. Be clear on the objective of each lesson so we have a measure of success. Write down the four situations and we will put them in a cup and each lady will draw two. Have them ready by ten tomorrow morning."

I added, "Grace, your job as leader is not to come up with the ideas by yourself, but to manage how you make the selections and how you work together. Lydia, remember your place is to support her, not to take over," Lydia nodded with a rueful grin. "Make sure your ideas are simple enough that they can be done before Saturday, but challenging enough that we will be able to evaluate Miss Patton and Mrs. Burton's ability as teachers. You may ask the other adults in the family for suggestions, but the final work needs to be your own. Does that make sense?"

All three girls nodded. "We will let Georgiana know about the assignment shortly," Lydia said. "She has missed Mary a great deal so we do not want to interrupt their current talk together."

Uncle Bennet and I nodded agreement. Both Miss Patton and Mrs. Burton looked a little surprised.

"Is this how you teach the young ladies?" Mrs. Burton asked.

"It is one of the ways," I answered, smiling. "We are giving them assignments in leadership so they can work together as a team to help protect each other. Lydia is a natural leader, so she is learning how to step back and let others succeed while also learning how to be a good follower. That kind of teamwork is also something we wanted to speak with you about. We want the training for all the young ladies to be coordinated. You would need to work with each other and with Mrs. Annesley to make sure they are all learning the skills the combined adults in the family decide are important. Each young lady has her own particular skills which will need to be enhanced. Georgiana is a talented musician. Kitty has become a good artist and is also learning to be a musician. Lydia is skilled at fancy needlework and has an excellent ear for languages. Grace is a good scholar and has excellent writing skills. We want to encourage these skills, but not to the exclusion of other subjects."

"We will also need time to manage our estates and go riding," Lydia added.

"Manage your estates?" Mrs. Burton asked faintly.

"Yes," said Lydia brightly. "Kitty and I already help Mama and Papa with the accounts for Longbourn. Part of my dowry is an estate called Thornapple and I will be working with the accounts, although the steward is running it right now. Kitty will be seeing to the accounts for her dowry, an estate called Brockhurst. We will need a little bit of time every day to update our account books and learn the things we need to know in order to be responsible estate owners."

"The accounts are managed in trust for them," I explained, noting the stunned looks both ladies wore. "We have promised that all three young ladies may assist in running their estates."

"My estate is called Castlemere," Grace added.

"We are an unusual family," I said. "Have we scared you away now?"

Miss Patton sat a little straighter and squared her shoulders, "Not at all," she said cheerfully. "In fact I think this would be an interesting challenge. I can see I would need to learn new things as well."

"I certainly found that to be the case when I started," I confirmed. "We have had challenges and adventures I never would have expected in these last six months and I know there will be more ahead."

"It will certainly be a change from spending my days reading and playing for an ill and elderly woman," said Mrs. Burton with a determined look. "I think I would enjoy it, especially if the responsibility is shared with others. With the whole family being involved in the education of the young ladies they will learn more and be better protected. I feel a little jealous, actually. I doubt I would have made the mistakes I did if I had a supportive family and friends to guide me."

"We learn from our mistakes," said Lydia. "Now you can teach us what you have learned."

"I think that may be enough on this subject for now," I said. "We can be overwhelming. Kitty, Lydia, Grace, shall we go see how the boys are doing with their riding lessons? Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton may need some time to think about our conversation or talk among themselves. When we come back in you can head off to the back parlor with Georgiana to start your assignment."

The four of us headed outside to enjoy watching the finish of the riding lessons. I knew Richard would come to work with the boys again the following morning before we all had to get ready for the assembly. I chuckled to myself when I realized our party would have seventeen people in it, since Miss Patton and Mrs. Burton would also attend. I hoped the assembly hall was large enough.


	99. Chapter 99

Richard, Will and Georgiana rode over together from Netherfield the next morning in time to join us for breakfast. Georgiana was there early to help finish the teaching project with the other young ladies. They hoped to take a short ride together after they completed it, although she would need to leave early enough to prepare for the assembly that evening.

When Richard and I went up to check on the three boys we found them almost too excited to eat their breakfast. Daniel had shown his skill with a hoop the afternoon before and they had several tricks they wanted to practice. Most of all, they wanted their riding lesson. Teddy was additionally excited just to have company his age to share the fun.

All three boys chatted happily about the imagined adventures they had taken the wooden horses and soldiers on as they searched for the wooden animals in a dark forest on a mountainside that morning. I recognized elements of one of the stories in the book Mary and Daniel gave Teddy for his birthday. Richard encouraged them to tell him more about the story. Even little Bethany chimed in. Teddy had allowed her to play with one of the wooden dogs Richard had given him and have a small part in their game.

The boys cheered when Richard told them to finish their breakfast quickly and come downstairs for another ride. The nurse rolled her eyes a bit although she smiled at their enthusiasm. I think she was glad to be staying inside with Bethany.

Will met us in the entryway, smiling at the sight of the three boys clattering down the stairs ahead of Richard and me. He was clearly enjoying his position as cousin and teacher as much as Richard had taken to his own role of father.

"Make sure you listen carefully to everything Will and Richard tell you," Madeline said as she came into the hall from the dining room. "You do not want to scare the ponies or get hurt."

"Yes, Mama," Edward and Franklin said as Teddy chimed in with "Yes, Mrs. Gardiner." Her instructions did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. Madeline and I watched them head out to the stables, skipping and talking as they followed the two men.

Afterr seeing them off, I went into the drawing room where the other ladies had gathered and asked if anyone cared to take a short walk with me. Mary and Mrs. Burton both liked the idea, so we got our bonnets and pelisses and headed out together.

As we came outside Teddy waved to us. He was on Sooty demonstrating for Edward and Franklin how to post a trot.

"Your son appears to be a good rider," Mrs. Burton ventured.

"He is still learning, but he will be an exceptional rider with Richard teaching him. He and Will both learned from an early age and are very skilled. Those three boys could not have better teachers."

"What kind of teaching challenge do you think the young ladies will decide on for Miss Patton and me?"

"I do not know," I told her, "but I am looking forward to finding out."

"They talked with me about it a little yesterday evening," Mary said. "I do not know which way they have decided. They are trying to fulfill all the conditions of the assignment. No matter how simple the end result sounds, they have put a great deal of thought into it."

"I hope we will both prove acceptable," Mrs. Burton said. "Miss Patton and I are agreed that we like the idea of working with your families. Mrs. Annesley was very positive about the opportunity when we spoke with her last evening and I think we could all make a good team. I suspect I would be happiest with Miss Grace. I have always lived in quieter households and I think Miss Lydia might be a bit too headstrong for me to handle effectively over the long term. Miss Patton said she feels very comfortable with Miss Bennet and Miss Lydia and would probably do well at Longbourn."

"I am glad you have all been talking together. You are correct that Lydia can be a challenge. She is a very smart girl even though she made foolish choices before. As you heard yesterday, she now recognizes many of her shortcomings, but she sometimes needs reminders. It is much more effective to gain her cooperation and understanding when trying to moderate her behavior. Dictating to her results in rebellion, even when she knows you are correct. My sister is much quieter and has had a more extensive education. My mother taught her a great deal and she attended boarding school after our mother's death. While she needs to hone her accomplishments, she also needs to learn confidence." I laughed and added, "With Teddy in the house it may not be as quiet as you think."

"He seems a very cheerful boy," she ventured. "I did notice that he calls Miss Grace his sister even though he is your adopted son. Should she not be his aunt?"

"When we adopted him we gave them the choice to be aunt and nephew or sister and brother. They immediately decided to be siblings. It may not make perfect sense, but it does make them happy. I am expecting Teddy and the Gardiner boys to be calling each other cousins before the week is out for the same reason."

"I am glad you agreed to let Grace stay with us for the two weeks after the wedding," said Mary, changing the subject slightly. "After growing up with four sisters I sometimes find the house a little lonely. I am looking forward to taking her out to that chocolate shop we enjoyed and perhaps to Hatchard's for some books."

"Would you see if you can find a book on birds of prey for Teddy there? Richard was telling him about an osprey nest yesterday and Teddy wanted to learn more. We will send some money with Grace so she can also buy a few more story books for him. I know he enjoyed the books you and Daniel sent for his birthday. He and the boys played out one of the stories this morning with all his wooden figures."

"I hoped he would like the story books. I tried to think of the kind of books Lizzy enjoyed most when we were young. Teddy seems to have the same adventurous spirit. I understand when you all went to Rosings he was pretending to be a caravan guard."

"Richard led him in a few adventures on the trip. They were also a group of knights guarding pilgrims on the way to the holy land. It certainly kept him from being bored by the long ride."

"You allowed him to ride his pony on the trip into Kent?" Mrs. Burton asked.

"It was his first long ride. All the gentlemen took their horses, although I think Uncle Bennet wished he had ridden inside one of the carriages. He was rather sore for a few days after. Richard and Charles both played along with Teddy after Richard got him started."

"Mr. Fitzwilliam appears to be a very caring and involved father. What does his family think about your marriage and the adoption?"

"The Darcys are the only blood relatives he currently admits to," I answered. "His father, the Earl of Matlock, and his brother, Viscount Milton, have disgraced the family name with their behavior and have run the family estate into ruin. Richard and Will have both broken all connections with them. They have never gotten along well with the Earl or Viscount. Richard grew up in the care of Will's parents which is probably why he turned out so well."

"I did not intend to touch on a sore point," Mrs. Burton said quietly.

"It is less a sore point than just a part of who he is. Richard's father and brother have left the country to avoid debtors prison. If you are looking after Grace you will need to be aware of that. Some of their creditors have tried to insist Richard pay them, especially after he inherited Rosings Park from his aunt. Between them Richard and Will have seen to all the legitimate debts of the Matlock estate, but neither is willing to pay a penny of the gambling debts."

"Would Miss Grace be in any danger?"

"She should not be. The Prince Regent has said he will make it officially known that Richard is not liable for any of the debts, which would mean anyone who tries to hurt Grace in an attempt to force Richard to pay would be facing royal displeasure as well as the combined displeasure of our family. We would simply want you to be aware and cautious."

"Why would the Prince Regent be involved?"

"Well, you see, we gave him a chair." Mary and I went on to tell her about Lady Catherine's throne and the chairs of Rosings Park. Mrs. Burton was soon laughing along with us as we described the over-decoration of the house, the visit of the magistrate and the resulting dinner party at Sandershill. I could tell she did not quite believe me when I told her how Old Satan foiled the attempt to steal him on our trip into Kent. If she stayed with us she would learn.

0o0o0o0o

Shortly after we returned to the house the young ladies entered the drawing room to present the results of their project. Grace carried a bowl containing four tightly folded pieces of paper. She offered the bowl to Mrs. Burton for first pick.

"We decided that since you have higher status as a widowed gentlewoman than Miss Patton who is an unmarried gentlewoman, we would offer you the first choice," Grace said.

Mrs. Burton smiled and took one of the folded slips. Miss Patton took the next and then each took a second slip in turn. When prompted Mrs. Burton unfolded her first slip.

"I am to spend an hour with Miss Bennet introducing her to a new piece of sheet music she has not heard or seen before from the selection of music Mrs. Burrows brought as a gift for her. At the end of the hour she should be able to play the piece from the sheet music with attention to the fingering and a good grasp of the appropriate dynamics. Her playing is not expected to be perfect, but Miss York, Mrs. Annesley and Miss Darcy should all agree that she has made acceptable progress for an hour's guided study at Miss Bennet's level of skill."

"Do you find that an appropriate test of your teaching ability?" Uncle Bennet asked.

"Yes, sir. I think it is," she said with a smile. The other three challenges were similar. There was one for each of the four girls and addressed a skill that girl needed to work on along with the expectation to be met.

"Well done, girls," said Uncle Bennet when the last challenge had been read out. "Was Grace a good leader?"

"I think so," said Lydia. "She was not quite sure how to start and I had to work hard to be quiet and let her decide on her own. She came up with the idea that we should limit each teaching session to one hour and that there should be one for each of us since we had to decide on four. Then she led us in discussing how we wanted to pick each item and set up the objectives you requested. That was the hardest part for all of us. We know what we need to learn, but defining how to measure success for an hour session was hard."

"We all wanted to do a good job with this and Grace kept us working towards our goal when we started to digress," Kitty said.

"What did you find hardest about it, Grace?" I asked.

"Well, you said I was not supposed to come up with all the answers myself so it took me a while to figure out that I could come up with the structure and then we could work together on the answers. I was not sure if I was doing too much or too little of the work."

"That is always difficult when you work with other people. The results of your work were very good. I consider the assignment a success." I told them. "Now you can go take your short ride before Georgiana has to return to Netherfield to dress for the assembly.

0o0o0o0

Mrs. Burton had only her black gowns, which did not feel completely appropriate for an assembly. I offered her the loan of one of my gowns, which would work with some alterations. Grace and Lydia helped make a flounce that we sewed along the bottom hem to add length for her greater height. Lydia used some of the same fabric as the flounce to make trim for the neckline and sleeve edges as well as using a band of it to make it fit properly under the bodice. The result was attractive and fit Mrs. Burton well.

Around six we distributed ourselves between the Bennet and Gardiner carriages and made our way into Meryton. We arrived before the Netherfield party and waited outside for them as we had agreed previously. They arrived a few minutes later and our large party entered the assembly hall together.

Sir William Lucas greeted us enthusiastically. He generally took on the role of host for the quarterly assemblies. With his jovial manner and love of company he was a good choice to help people feel welcome. He greeted Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Patton cheerfully when introduced and complimented all the young ladies on their appearance. We finally made it all the way into the rooms only when another party came up behind us and wished to enter.

"You have promised me your first dance tonight, my lovely Sophia," Richard said as we entered the main room. "I shall not leave your side until I have the chance to claim it."

"That suits me perfectly," I told him. We walked around, arm in arm, and greeted the others in attendance. Mr. Archer of the ponies was standing with his brother, Mr. Archer the magistrate. I was pleased to meet both gentlemen and their wives.

"The two ponies have been a great success," I told the first Mr. Archer. "They have just the right temperament for boys who have never ridden before."

"I am glad they have worked out. Mr. Fitzwilliam was very specific that he needed placid and steady beasts who would work for beginning riders."

"The boys have been delighted with them," Richard said. "I think they would have kept riding all day today if I had let them."

We chatted a little further and I found both Mrs. Archers to be very pleasant women. Before moving on, I extended an invitation to both Mr. Archers and their wives to attend the wedding breakfast on Monday if they wished. I knew Aunt Bennet had ordered plenty of food and the Netherfield ballroom was large enough to absorb a few extra guests.

After a little more walking and talking I finally heard what I had been waiting for as the first dance was announced. Richard led me to the dance floor where we were joined by Will, Elizabeth, Charles, Jane, Mary, Daniel and the Gardiners. Kitty and Lydia were there as well, escorted by young men from the neighborhood who had been approved for the dance by their father. In fact our family made up its own line along the dance floor. I saw Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton standing with the Bennets, Sir William and Lady Lucas, in what appeared to be pleasant conversation. Then I paid no more attention to any of them. The music began and I was finally dancing with Richard.

What can one say to describe a dream come true? It was not the steps of the dance, the music, the feeling of being surrounded by people I cared about and who returned that care to me. All those things combined would have been nothing without Richard dancing with me, smiling as I smiled. We moved together and apart. We circled each other and briefly did the same with others of our party. While the dance lasted there was nothing else in the world. I wanted it to go on forever.

It did not, of course. Like all things the dance did end. However, I still had the last of the evening to anticipate. We shifted partners, but always stayed in the set next to each other. I had danced with Will, Charles, Daniel and one of the local men before I decided it was time to sit a set out to keep company with Elizabeth and Aunt Bennet. Richard had just asked Kitty to dance after escorting me to the side when one of Longbourn's footmen came up to us looking upset.

"Mr. Fitzwilliam! Miss York! We need you back at Longbourn. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner as well." he said, gasping for breath a little. I wondered if he had run to the village.

"What is wrong, man?" Richard asked as he motioned Mr. Gardiner, who was about to stand up with Lydia, and Will, who was standing up with Miss Patton, to join us.

"It is the boys," said the man. "The nurse thought they had just gone out to play in the yard shortly after you left, but they are nowhere to be seen and it is getting dark. She is worried and thought you needed to know."

"Are the ponies still in the stable?" Richard asked grimly.

"Yes, sir. We searched the stable first, knowing how excited the boys were about riding. All three ponies are safe in their stalls."

"We will come right away. Gardiner, can we take your carriage? Will, would you join the search?"

"Of course, let us go right now, the rest of the family can follow," Will agreed.

"I will send for my carriage," Mr. Gardiner added.

"I am going with you," I said firmly. Richard looked at me and saw I would not be dissauded. He nodded.

Mr. Gardiner sent for the carriage while Richard beckoned Charles and Daniel from the dance floor. They quickly agreed to follow with the rest of the family. Uncle Bennet said he would follow with the ladies as well but asked Richard to leave word at the house of his search plans.

"Do you have any rifles?" Richard asked. "I would like each search team to carry one so we can fire off a shot if we find the boys."

"I have three. They are in a cabinet in my private rooms along with the powder and shot. Hanson knows where it is and can give you the key."

"Take your time getting back. I am hoping we will have found them by the time you return."

"I do not count on it, Philosopher, but I will hope too."

Madeline joined us as we headed to the carriage. I noticed Mr. Gardiner did not say a word. She was as determined as I that we would find the boys quickly. We arrived to see the male servants gathering outside after having searched the stables and everywhere within sight of the house. Mrs. Hill had lanterns ready to light and coils of rope just in case.

While Richard got the rifles and made plans, Madeline and I both ran to our rooms to change into walking shoes and put on warm pelisses. We met in the hall and almost ran down the stairs to the entry. Nurse Becky was there, nearly in tears, with Bethany at her side. Richard was asking if the boys had said anything to her before they left.

"No, sir. I was fixing one of Bethany's toys while they were at the window looking at something. The next time I looked up they were gone. The hoops were still there, but I assumed they had gone down to play marbles like they had talked about earlier or had gone to pet the ponies. When it got to be their bedtime I was a little worried and asked one of the footmen to find them and send them in. That was when we realized they were just not here."

"Ospee," said Bethany loudly. "Ospee!"

"What was that, Bethany?" her mother asked.

"The boys saw ospee and went looking."

I suddenly realized what she meant. "The boys saw an osprey from the window and went looking for it, or probably the nest."

Richard huffed in disgust. "Of course they did. I told Teddy all those adventures Will and I had looking for birds and nests. He didn't know that we were thirteen or fourteen years old when we did _our_ exploring."

"Let us find them Richard. Then you can tell him. The nursery window faces the drive. He will probably head to water because he knows the osprey is a fishing bird."

"And he may head towards Netherfield because he knows one landed on a branch outside Charles' study window," Richard added.

"We should all head towards different points along the stream in line with the nursery window," Will said.

"Three groups since there are only three rifles. Two shots if you find them, two extra shots if you need help. Sophia and I go together, Gardiner and Madeline in the second and Will in charge of the third. Each of us needs two footmen or grooms along who know the countryside well. We are heading that way." Richard pointed straight out along the path from the window.

Will and Mr. Gardiner each picked their path. Will had three men with him and two of the grooms came along with us. Mr. Gardiner pointed out two of the footmen.

"The rest of the family will be back soon," Richard told Mrs. Hill, who was standing in the entry. "Let them know what we are doing. Please have some of the other men continue searching the yard just in case they have doubled back." With that he took one of the lanterns that had been prepared for us, turned and set off into the gathering dusk. Our two grooms and I also took lanterns and the grooms each took a coil of rope. We followed Richard, looking all around us as we went.

Richard tried to pick up tracks, but the ground was hard and dry from the clear sunny days we had enjoyed recently. He had us fan out about 6 feet apart and we all watched the ground as far as we could, but with no success.

Eventually we reached the stream and began to follow along the bank, calling as we went. As much we could around the brush growing at the bank side, we stayed spread slightly apart to examine more ground. Finally one of the grooms gave a shout.

"I see something, sir! It might be footprints. There is a wetter patch here."

Richard ran to the spot and examined it closely. "Three different sets, all small feet. It is them, and going this way," he said in relief.

We continued on, feeling hopeful despite the oncoming night. The full moon was already up and it helped light our way, but without the lanterns we would have gotten lost, I think. Twice more we found what looked like footprints. We took turns calling the boys as we went along.

"Help! Please help us!" carried faintly on the breeze.

"Wait where you are!" shouted Richard in his loudest voice. "We are coming to you!"

We rushed ahead as fast as we could in the lantern light. The banks of the stream had been rising as the terrain had become more rocky. We came over a small hill and saw the silhouette of a boy waiting up ahead.

"Edward and Teddy are trapped in the hole here and I am lost!" he shouted. "Please help us!"

We heard two shouts for help from nearby, one I knew was Teddy.

We had found the boys. Now we had to find out what trouble they were in.

* * *

 _AN: I know, I know. Cliffhanger… I could have continued on and made this a super long chapter, but in honor of chapter 100, which is next, I wanted that to be the one with the rescue. You do not have to wait long, though. I have it almost ready and will be posting soon – and by that I mean today. :oD_


	100. Chapter 100

I rushed up to Franklin and gathered him in a hug. He was cold and shivering. Richard and the grooms stepped forward but stopped short when Franklin said, "Watch out for the hole!"

"We are trapped down here! The sides are muddy and slick and we cannot get out!" came Teddy's voice.

"Are either of you hurt, Teddy?" Richard shouted.

"Father! Is that you? We are not hurt but we are trapped. I tried to make a rock ladder but it is too dark now."

"Just hold on, both of you. I want to see the situation."

Moving cautiously and making use of the lantern Richard edged forward until he saw where the ground had crumbled forming a chasm. Lying down on his stomach he crawled to a point where he could look over the edge, letting his lantern dangle down inside to give him enough light.

"Father!" Teddy shouted with joy.

"I see you Teddy. Edward, are you well?"

"Yes, sir. I am just cold."

"We should have brought blankets," I heard Richard mutter. He spoke a little more loudly, "You boys move to that far wall. Rocks and dirt may fall down as I come for you and I do not want you to be hit."

"Yes, sir." came from both boys.

As Richard started to crawl back he said, "I am going to fire off the rifle so the others know we have found you. Do not be frightened by the sound."

"Will you signal all safe or need help?" I asked him as he took the rifle from the groom.

"All safe. We have enough rope to lower me down there and bring all three of us back up."

"I am the lightest one of us. I should be the one to go down. Then it will be the three of you pulling in case more of the edge crumbles. I do not have the arm strength to help with that."

"It is muddy and there is a stream running through the bottom of the hole. Your gown will be ruined."

"I do not care. I am the best choice to go down."

He stood for a moment just looking at me in the lantern light. "Very well, Dearest," he said with a sigh. "You are correct. We will tie both ropes around you. Crawl to the edge so the ground is less likely to break under you as it did under them. Turn and go down feet first, trying to walk down the wall as much as possible while we lower you. When you get to the bottom take off one of the ropes and tie it around Edward. I will make a harness for him. Tell him to crawl to us when he gets up. We will throw the rope back down for Teddy and then we will pull you back up. I do not think there is a good way for you to carry the lantern as you go down, so you will have to leave it near the edge of the hole before you turn and use whatever light you can get that way."

"I understand."

He fired off two shots to send the signal before we proceeded with the rescues. We instructed Franklin to stay where he was. Taking the end of one of the ropes Richard tied a sort of loop harness the boy could put his legs through, leaving an end to go around the boy's waist and be tied with a knot he showed me. He then wrapped the end of the second rope around my waist and tied it, tucking the harness into the back. Richard kissed me before handing me the lantern and sending me off.

I walked several steps forward and then he told me to crawl. Hiking up my skirt in front I got down on hands and knees and crawled close to the edge.

"Get down flatter, Sophia and wiggle forward until you can swing yourself around over the edge."

I did as he told me. As I neared the edge I felt the ground moving slightly under me. I set the lantern close to the edge, the swung around until I could move down into the hole feet first. Richard and the two grooms slowly lowered me as I tried to stand against the pull of the rope and walk down the wall. The sides were slick and it was difficult, but the hole was only about twelve feet deep. As Richard had told me, a stream was running through the bottom. From what little I could make out, it dropped from a rocky channel at one side and had probably undercut and weakened the bank here, flowing on through another rocky section at the side where it would intersect the main stream.

"Mother!" Teddy shouted with joy as I arrived at the bottom. I hugged both boys to me for a moment.

"We are going to get you both out of here," I said as I released them. Teddy did not want to let go of me. "Teddy, I need you to step to the side for just a moment while I get Edward ready."

He reluctantly pulled away. I reached behind me and unhooked the harness from where it was looped into my rope, pulling to get a little slack. It was very dark but I could make out the shapes of the boys in the faint glow from the lantern above.

"Edward, I have a rope here that has some loops in it. I need you to put your legs through the loops. I know it is dark, but I think you can do this by touch." I got the first loop into his hands and steadied him as he put his foot through. It was a little harder for him to step into the second loop, but finally he made it. I tied the rope end around his waist as Richard had directed.

"Now, Edward, as they pull you up hold on here and lean back against the rope. Try to walk up the side of the wall. When you get to the top wiggle forward on your stomach and then crawl until Richard says you can stand. He will help you get out of the harness and toss it down for Teddy. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Miss York."

"Richard!" I shouted. "Pull him up!"

I helped Edward start on his way up the wall, keeping my hand on his back as long as I could. Teddy came back and hugged me fiercely.

"I have been afraid, Mother."

"We were afraid for you. Why did you sneak out and not tell anyone where you were going?"

"We did not _sneak_ out, Mother. We just walked." I could hear confusion in his tone. "It was still light and I am always allowed to go out when it is still light. It only got dark after we were in the hole and I could not go home."

"Here is the rope!" came Richard's shout from above, followed by the rope dropping back into the hole.

"We will talk about this later, Teddy," I said as calmly as I could through chattering teeth. The cold water was starting to get to me. "Right now we need to get you all back to Longbourn where you can dry off and get warm. Let us get you into this harness."

We worked together to get him ready and I gave him the same instructions I gave Edward. I watched him go up the side of the hole and I stood and shivered while I thought. It was true that before we adopted him he often came and went as he pleased as long as it was light out. We never told him the rule had changed, so he assumed it was fine for them to go out hunting osprey without even telling the nurse. They must have said something to each other that Bethany heard even though Nurse Becky did not.

My thoughts were interrupted by a shout from Richard and a tug on my rope. I started working on walking up the wall as they slowly reeled me in. Once at the top I struggled forward, hampered by my wet, muddy gown. I remembered to grab the lantern before I struggled to my feet. Richard caught me in a hug as I stepped out of the dangerous area, kissing me before he took a step back to untie the rope.

"Are you well?" he asked.

"Cold, muddy and wet, but I am well. I see the boys are safe. Before you give any lecture to him you need to know, Teddy and I started to talk down there and he was still working on the rules he was given before we adopted him. As long as it was still light he was allowed to come and go as he pleased. It was still light when they ended up in the hole."

He got the rope untied and dropped it to the ground before pulling me close to him again. I felt him sigh heavily. "I will remember that. He still needs to know he behaved irresponsibly and put all three into danger."

"Agreed," I said, burrowing close to him to gain a little warmth before comforting the boys again.

We stepped apart to find the two grooms had finished recoiling the muddy rope. Richard and I walked over to where the boys stood waiting.

"I am glad you are all safe," I said, gathering Edward and Franklin to me while Richard hugged Teddy.

"Edward's foot is kind of hurt," Teddy said quietly. "He was trapped by a rock when we fell."

Kneeling to get a better look Richard brought his lantern close enough that he could see the swelling and bruises on the boy's muddy leg just above the ankle.

"I think Edward gets to have a ride on my back," Richard said. Still kneeling he turned so Edward could climb onto his back. I steadied Richard as he stood.

"Are either of you injured?" I asked Teddy and Franklin. They said they were not, so I took each of them by the hand and we set off back towards Longbourn.

One of the grooms walked in front of the three of us, carrying my lantern and his own to light our path. Richard followed me while the second groom took up the spot at the rear. We decided to follow the stream back until we reached a point where we could take the most direct path to Longbourn. We had not gone very far when we met up with Madeline and Mr. Gardiner with their two footman. I was delighted to see that each of them carried a blanket in addition to their lanterns.

"We have them Madeline," I said. "They are all safe."

"Thank goodness," she said, rushing forward.

"Edward hurt his leg, so it is probably best Richard continues to carry him. He is cold, though, so you should wrap the blanket around him."

Franklin gave a tug to my hand and I let him go. He ran to his father who wrapped him in a blanket and picked him up. The two footmen handed the remaining blankets to Teddy and me. I wrapped mine around me gratefully after folding Teddy in his.

"How did you get the blankets?" I asked.

"I thought they might be needed so we delayed leaving while I had Mrs. Hill get them." She turned to Richard. "I know you signaled they were found and safe, but we just could not wait to see them for ourselves. So we continued on in the direction we knew you had gone."

"I would probably have done the same myself," said Richard with a laugh. "We are glad to see you and the blankets are most welcome."

I took Teddy's hand again and we continued on to Longbourn as quickly as we could in the dark.

0o0o0o0

The house was lit like a beacon and drew us to the warmth. As we approached we could make out Will pacing outside the front door.

"They are safe, Will!" Richard shouted. His cousin looked up and came striding quickly to meet us.

"I heard the shots, but was worried when my group was the only one that came back. I am guessing from the mud that Richard and Sophia found them?"

"And we could not return until we saw our boys safe. I apologize for worrying you," Mr. Gardiner said.

The other family members started to spill out of the door, commenting on the mud and how glad they were the boys were safe.

"It is getting late and we need to get these boys upstairs and into dry clothes," Richard said. "Will, go ahead and take your family back to Netherfield. I am going to stay the night here, even if the only room available is in the barn."

"Do we need to send over a change of clothes?" Will asked.

"No, I keep a change of clothes here to use after I go riding. I am sure I can borrow a nightshirt from one of the men."

"Very well. We will expect the full story in the morning."

Richard thanked the footmen and the grooms, suggesting they get some rest, then he carried the nearly sleeping Edward upstairs followed by the Gardiners leading Franklin between them and finally Teddy and me. I could hear the rest of the family discussing our return and muddy condition while wondering what had happened.

Mrs. Hill had been prepared. In the nursery we found three large buckets that could serve as boy sized baths. An extra bucket of warm water stood by each along with a dipper.

Richard sent me off to get into clean clothes while he and the Gardiners saw to the boys and got them tucked into bed.

"Come back when you are changed and warmed up a bit. I plan to have a chat with Teddy before he goes to sleep."

I nodded and headed off quickly. A maid brought up a bucket of hot water for me just as I reached my room. I thanked her and went in to peel off my ruined clothing. I could tell I would need new boots as well. After washing up I changed into a comfortable dress and wrapped up in a shawl before heading back to the nursery.

Two footmen were carrying out one of the bath buckets full of muddy water as I neared the door. I gave them room to pass me before I entered. Bethany was already in bed and asleep. Teddy and Franklin were tucked into their beds, but Edward was sitting on the edge of his in his nightshirt while Richard and Madeline examined his injured leg.

"I think it is just bruised and swollen," Richard was saying as I entered. "He was able to stand on it without support, so it is unlikely to be broken."

"You are probably correct," Madeline agreed. "Very well, into bed with you, son." He lay down and she tucked him in.

Richard brought a chair over to the area between the beds where all three boys could see him from where they lay. He sat down and I stood beside him with one of my hands resting on his shoulder. Madeline and Mr. Gardiner brought chairs over and sat down as well. Both Richard and Mr. Gardiner had removed their coats and brushed off as much of the dirt from carrying the boys as they could, but Richard's waistcoat still had a damp patch on the back from moisture that had seeped through his coat while he carried Edward. I hoped he was not too uncomfortable.

"Now boys," Richard said. "I know you are tired and want to sleep, but we do need to talk first. Am I correct in thinking you saw an osprey from the window and decided to go find it or its nest?"

"Yes, Father," said Teddy. "And we did not sneak out. We just went."

I gave Richard's shoulder a squeeze. I did not want him to get too upset. He looked up at me and nodded.

"So your mother told me. I understand you have been allowed to go out as you please as long as it is light outside. That was a rule from before you were adopted. Your mother and I did not realize you had that rule, so we never thought to tell you anything different." I thought he might start making a new rule, but instead Richard sighed and asked, "You boys were frightened out there this evening?"

All three boys nodded.

"When we learned you were gone and did not know where to find you we adults were all frightened as well. We are _still_ frightened at the thought we could have lost you and that fright sometimes comes out sounding like anger."

Mr. Gardiner, Madeline and I all nodded at the questioning looks from the boys. Richard took a deep breath and I could tell he was trying to stay very calm and reasonable.

"Now, Teddy, please tell us why you went out and what happened," Richard said.

"We saw the osprey from the window and it looked like it was carrying a fish. I told Edward and Franklin about the big nest, but they did not believe me or that the bird has a black mask over its eyes. I told them we could go look for the osprey. Nurse Becky was busy sewing up Bethany's doll that was torn, so we just waved at Bethany as we went out. You told me ospreys like water and we saw it flying above where the stream is, so we walked along the stream bank and looked in all the trees for the nest. We walked a long way and Franklin was getting tired so he was behind us. I thought I saw what might be a nest on the other side of the stream and we were looking at it as we walked. Then everything fell out from underneath us and we slid down and down. There was dirt and rocks and water everywhere and suddenly we were in the bottom of a deep hole. Franklin did not fall in, but he was scared too. When Edward fell his leg got caught between some rocks. I had to pull and pull to get them off him. We tried to climb up the side of the hole but it was too slippery and every time we did more dirt and rocks came down. We tried to pile rocks on one side of the hole so we could climb up them, but that did not work. I asked Franklin if he knew how to get back to the house for help, but he said he was lost. I remembered you told me if I ever got lost I should stay where I was and call for help. I told Franklin that, so he stayed up there and we all called for help. It got darker and cold, but I knew you would come find us and you did."

We had all listened without interrupting, although I could tell all of us had wanted to at one point or another. Richard reached up and gently squeezed my hand where it lay on his shoulder. He took another deep breath.

"I know you did not intend to fall down the hole or stay out after dark," he said to the boys. "You did go out without tell anyone where you were going or that you were even leaving. We had no idea where to find you until Bethany told us you had seen the osprey out the window."

The three boys looked over at Bethany's bed in surprise. Richard continued, "I think you all three knew that if you told Nurse Becky you were going out to find the osprey she would have stopped you."

Edward and Franklin did know and looked ashamed. Teddy just looked confused. "Why would she stop us?" he asked.

"Because it is not safe for boys your age to go out on a long adventure like that without an adult at least knowing where you are. With all the adults in the family gone to the assembly she would have had you stay inside or in the yard which would have been right. Would you have just gone like that if your mother or I were home?"

"No, Father," Teddy said, "I would have wanted you to go with us."

Richard sighed again. He could tell he was not getting through to Teddy this time.

"Edward, Franklin, would you ever go outside without telling Nurse Becky or us if you were at home?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

"No, sir," both boys replied. Teddy looked a little surprised.

"Why did you do it here, then?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

"Because Teddy said he was allowed to go out as long as it was not dark yet."

"So, you did go out and you certainly had an adventure," Richard said. "Teddy, you did well to free Edward and it was smart to try and use the rocks to help you out. I am glad you remembered to have Franklin stay close by since he did not know the way back. Falling in the hole was an accident and I understand that." He stopped and sighed again.

"Teddy, I need you to understand why we want to be sure going forward that you do not wander freely like you used to before you were part of our family. I can accept you did not think you were doing anything wrong although clearly Edward and Franklin had an idea of it. They followed you because you have lived at Longbourn and they trusted you to know the rules. You know that we are teaching the older girls about leadership. One thing about being the leader is even if problems arise that are accidents, the leader is the one who takes responsibility. You were the leader this time. I am not angry with you but you need to know there were consequences from your actions and I want you to think about that if you are tempted to do anything like this again." Teddy sat up in bed and looked at Richard with curiosity. Edward and Franklin paid close attention as well.

Richard continued, "First, Edward was hurt. That was an accident, but it might have been avoided if you were paying more attention to where you were walking. It might have happened anyway. I do not know what the ground there looked like, but his injury is a _consequence_." All three boys nodded.

"Next, you were out in a place where only _you_ knew the way back. That meant when trouble happened Franklin was not able to go get help, so you all just had to wait for someone else to find you while you became colder and wetter all the time. Then your mother ended up wet and muddy when she went down in the hole to help you. We hope none of you will become ill because of that time in the cold, but if you did that would be another consequence." Edward sniffled a little and pulled his blanket tighter around him. Teddy looked concerned, but knew it was time to listen, not talk.

"I already mentioned that we were worried and did not know where to find you, but I do not think you understand how many people were affected. First, Nurse Becky was worried about you. She looked up from her work to find all three of you gone and she had no idea where. She thought you were just out in the yard, which is reasonable, but when you did not come in she became frightened. So she asked for help, which meant that _every_ manservant at Longbourn had to stop their work, miss their dinner and go out looking for the three of you. They searched the house, the yard, the stables and everywhere nearby they could think because they had no idea where you were. They became so worried they sent Cooke, the footman, to the assembly to get us and he ran all the way there." All three boys definitely looked ashamed now. Teddy stayed sitting up, but pulled his blanket up around his shoulders. I wanted to go hug him, but it was not time yet.

"I think you know the adults were all looking forward to the assembly tonight. It may be the last time for a long time that we will all be able to attend a dance together. We put on our fancy clothes and planned to spend a happy evening with all the neighbors. Then Cooke came in to tell us you were missing and they had not been able to find you. I can tell you I felt like my heart almost stopped from fear. We all love you and we were _all_ worried that you might be lost, hurt or even worse. _Every_ member of our group left the assembly as quickly as we could to return to Longbourn so we could search for you. Several of the neighbors offered to help as well if we needed them and were willing to end their evening early as well."

"I am sorry, Father," Teddy said sadly, hanging his head.

"I know, Son," Richard told him. "I am not angry with you. I am still _frightened_ at what might have happened. I do not want to lose you and I do not want to feel like this again. So we are going to have some new rules and these will apply at Rosings as well. Are you listening?"

Teddy sat up straight again. "Yes, sir."

"Going forward I do not want you to go outside without letting an adult know where you are going. If you are in the nursery you tell Nurse Becky or tell Mrs. Phipps when we get to Rosings. If you are somewhere else in the house and decide to go out when your mother or I are not around or are busy, you can tell the housekeeper, a footman or a maid. Just make sure that you have _spoken to_ at least one adult to let them know you are going out."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now when you are out you can go anywhere in the yard as long as you can see some part of the house, even if it is just the roof. That applies to both Longbourn and Rosings. That way if we have to come looking for you we know just how far you are likely to have gone. It also means you are close enough that you could probably hear me if I shout." Richard smiled and all three boys looked a little happier.

"If you want to go further away from the house you need permission from your mother or me. If we are not around then you need permission from another adult who we say is in charge. That would be someone like Uncle Bennet here or Mrs. Phipps at Rosings. We will want to know where you are going. If you decide to go anywhere else you come back and tell us first. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir."

"You will be spending the two weeks after the wedding at the Gardiner house, Teddy. When you are at their home you need to follow _their_ rules. Is that clear?"

"I get to stay with Edward and Franklin at their house?" Teddy said excitedly.

"Do you agree to follow the rules Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner give you?" Richard asked with a slight smile.

"Oh, yes! I will do what they tell me to."

"Is the invitation still open?" Richard asked Mr. Gardiner. All three boys looked hopefully at him.

"Yes, it is," said Mr. Gardiner after a long pause for effect. "We will make sure all the house rules are clear and if all three boys promise to follow them, then Teddy may still have the visit."

"Yes, sir! I promise." Teddy said brightly. Edward and Franklin nodded their agreement.

"Calm down a bit boys," said Richard. "I need to tell you something else before it is time for you to go to sleep. We do not plan to punish you, because you did not willfully disobey any instructions we had given you. You will still get your pony rides and you get to go on the picnic Thursday. However, there is that thing about consequences. You will probably find that other members of the family will be upset because they were very worried as well. Do not be surprised if you get a talking to from any or all of them. I expect you to listen respectfully. Remember that when they express their worry or frustration it is because they love you and want you to be safe. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," all three boys responded.

"Then I need to go change out of my damp clothes and you three need to get some sleep, unless Mr. Gardiner has something to add?" Richard looked over to the Gardiners.

"I think you covered what was needed right now." Mr. Gardiner and Madeline went to the beds to kiss their sons goodnight and tuck them back in again. I sat on Teddy's bed and gave him a hug while Richard stood next to us and smoothed Teddy's hair.

"I am glad we found you, Son," Richard said.

"Me too," Teddy answered. "I am sorry you worried and you had to leave the dance."

"I know," Richard told him. "What is done is done. Now it is time to move on and do better."

Teddy nodded. I released him and we got him settled into the bed so I could tuck him in and give him a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, Teddy," I told him before I stood up.

The Gardiners, Richard and I wished all the boys goodnight and started to leave the room. At the door Richard turned and said, "Oh, and boys, Teddy was not lying about either the big nest or the black feathers that look like a mask on the osprey's face. When we are out riding I will see if I can spot a nest to show you and if we are lucky we will see the osprey nearby. Now sleep well."

We left the boys to what we hoped would be pleasant dreams of riding and finding the osprey. I knew my dreams would probably feature dark muddy holes and rushing water. Still, the boys were safe and sound. That would balance out any bad dreams I might have.


	101. Chapter 101

After we left the boys in the nursery Madeline and Mr. Gardiner insisted Richard and I both retire for the night. Richard protested, but Mr. Gardiner pointed out his still-damp clothing.

"I can tell anyone who is still awake what happened just as well as you can, Richard," he said. "Go. I know Mrs. Hill prepared a room for you and probably has some hot water ready to bring up so you can finishing washing. In fact I would bet there is a borrowed nightshirt waiting for you as well."

Richard grinned, "I would not take _that_ bet. You are sure to be correct. Sophia, you need to retire too. You are still shivering, even with the shawl."

I agreed with him. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and then we parted for the night. As I had suspected my dreams were not pleasant. I was also still feeling chilled the next morning, although I did not feel sick. I was just tired from the restless night.

Will and Charles came over before breakfast and Richard brought them up to date while we ate. Will rolled his eyes when Richard claimed to be partly to blame for telling Teddy all the stories about their childhood excursions in the woods. I believe he thought Richard was taking too much on himself.

"Will they be punished for running off like that?" Charles asked. "Can they still ride and go on the picnic?"

"They will not be punished," Richard told him. "All three boys made an error in judgment, but they were not willfully disobedient. I believe they are sorry for causing everyone to worry."

"Do you mind if I have a few words with them?" Will asked, looking to the Gardiners, Richard and me.

"Actually, I told them to expect it," Richard said with a smile. Mr. Gardiner gave an assenting nod.

"I will not be harsh with them," Will assured us.

I did not hear his conversation with the boys, but Richard told me later that it was along the same lines as his own discussion the evening before. I was pleased when Richard added that all three boys had listened quietly and expressed genuine sorrow at having caused all of us to worry over them.

I think several other family members spoke to them over the course of the day. When I came in to read with him for a little while that evening Teddy said, "I am glad Father warned us that people are upset because they love us."

Edward and Franklin had come over to join us as we sat on the bed to read the story. They both nodded glumly.

"It is hard to remember that sometimes," I said. Teddy snuggled up next to me and the other two boys sat close on my other side. I did not like to see them so subdued, but I knew they would get over it soon. I was also certain they would not do anything similar in the future. Opening the book I began to read them an adventure story.

0o0o0o0

Thursday turned out to be a perfect day for our long ride and picnic. It was sunny with the few wispy clouds in the sky being chased by a gentle cooling breeze. We had not even had a morning mist to dampen the trail.

We agreed on our picnic site in advance so the members of our party who were not riding could join us for the meal. In fact, they would be bringing it. Elizabeth, Mildred and Mrs. Burton would join the Gardiners in their carriage as they brought the hampers of food to the appointed location. Miss Patton would be riding Nelly and Mary was on Elizabeth's horse.

The previous week, Richard, Will and Charles had mapped out and explored the path we would take, using suggestions from Elizabeth, who had walked all the paths in the vicinity over the years. They had a circular route planned so we could enjoy more of the countryside. We would follow paths, but the picnic spot could be reached more directly from a lane the carriage could use.

I think we all had a fun ride. Of course, being on the paths we could not ride in a clump. We went two by two, but most of us changed riding partners several times during the trip, using the more open places to shift around. Sometimes I was up front with Richard or Teddy. Other times I was nearer the back with with one of the other ladies. Charles and Jane rode together and consistently stayed at the rear of our group. We talked, told jokes and laughed as we went.

The picnic site was ready for us when we arrived. Mildred laid rugs on the ground for us to sit on, along with a few folding stools for those who preferred them. Mrs. Burton and Madeline were just unpacking the last of the food. Mr. Gardiner and a footman had roped off an area in a circle of trees to act as a paddock for the horses. We left them saddled, but removed the bridles and bits so they could graze freely while we had our meal.

Our meal was quite as lively as the ride. Edward and Franklin tried to tell their parents about everything they had seen, including an osprey nest Richard had pointed out to them near a small lake just beyond Oakham Mount. They had so much to say they could barely be understood, especially when Teddy chimed in to add more detail.

I sat next to where Elizabeth perched on her stool. We talked a little bit about the ride, then she gestured slightly with her head to where Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton were sitting with our young ladies.

"What do you think about the two candidates?" she asked quietly.

"I was not sure at first, but I think they may work out well. When they arrived I thought your uncle was simply being kind to include Mrs. Burton. Some families would not hire her if the manner of her marriage was known. I watched her lesson with Kitty on the pianoforte yesterday and she _is_ a very good teacher. Much of the hesitance I saw at first was fear of rejection. I think her experiences will help her identify problem situations when we go into society and make her a valuable companion for Grace."

"What about Miss Patton? She seems a little young for her years."

"She has energy enough to cope with Lydia and Kitty, and I think she will keep them properly in line despite her own high spirits. She also did well in the first teaching challenge and I thought her deportment was excellent at the assembly even with her lively manners. She may be exactly the model Lydia needs to behave well while still being herself. I know your uncle has done a complete check of their references and we should not have any unpleasant surprises."

"I am glad of that. I spoke with Lady Lucas at the assembly and told her our plan to give all the girls a season together. She was open to hiring a governess for Maria and having that governess coordinate with the others to ensure all the girls are equally prepared."

Richard sat down next to me. He and Will had been talking quietly behind us, but apparently had heard some of our conversation as well. "I think they will both be acceptable," he said. "I trust Gardiner's judgment and his background check. As long as you think you will get along with Mrs. Burton I am willing to offer her the position with Grace."

"I spoke with Bennet this morning," Will said as he sat next to Elizabeth. "Kitty and Lydia have both given him a favorable account of their interactions with Miss Patton. He trusts Gardiner as well, so I think he will hire her. Mrs. Annesley gave me a positive report on them both. She feels they should all be able to work well together."

"The Gardiners are certainly good connections to have," I said with a smile. "They brought me here, they helped track down the smuggling ring, they found an art dealer and a furniture dealer to help us with Rosings and now they have found the new governesses."

"Yes," said Richard with a chuckle, "I think we should keep on their good side."

"Aunt Gardiner is looking forward to seeing Rosings," Elizabeth said.

"I never thought I would _ever_ hear of _anyone_ looking forward to a visit at Rosings," Will said with a grimace. " _I_ certainly never did."

"Someday we will wash away the memories of Lady Catherine and you will actually enjoy visiting us," Richard told him.

"It may take me a while, cousin."

"Oh, we _will_ visit," said Elizabeth. "I need to see this place whether Will enjoys the trip or not."

"Cruel woman," he said with a mock frown.

"Yet still you love me," she teased.

"That I do," he answered with a smile.

We discussed Richard's plans for having the young man from Thornapple he hired as a carter take our trunks and the riding horses to Rosings Monday morning. The carter had returned to Meryton the previous week to deliver the new chairs to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and Richard had him staying at Netherfield with the other servants.

"That reminds me," Will said, "I want to place an order for four of those chairs. Elizabeth can pick the fabric. They will be perfect in the library at Pemberley."

"I am afraid Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner get the next two, but you are in line right after them," Richard told him.

"That will work," Will said. "Yesterday afternoon I went out along the stream to the spot where the boys fell. Sophia was right about an underground stream cutting away under the bank and weakening that spot. We have had a few sinkholes like that at Pemberley. No one will have any idea they are there until suddenly the ground just drops away. The ones I have seen look just like that one. I suggested to Bennet this morning that he send a few men out to fence that area off so no one gets too close."

"Good thinking," said Richard. "I am glad was it was not any deeper and that Sophia made it down and back safely."

"I could see where the boys had tried to pile rocks to create a ladder. They might have made it out if they hadn't lost the light," Will said approvingly.

"While I want them safe, in a way I am glad they did not. If they had rescued themselves they might have been less ready to accept the new rules or understand the consequences of their actions. They are lucky to just have a few bruises."

"It was resourceful thinking, nonetheless."

"I agree," Richard said. "I am proud of the way Teddy handled the emergency portion of that expedition and I have told him so. I would just rather he did not need to."

"You will get no argument on that from me," Will said. After that, we turned the conversation to other matters as we finished eating.

After the meal we all helped clean up the site and get the hampers loaded back on the carriage. Before dismantling the makeshift corral we prepared our horses for the ride back. Except for some flattened grass, by the time we were ready to leave there was little evidence we had been there.

The ride home was similar to the ride out although along different trails. The boys did get the chance to see an osprey close up when Will spotted one sitting on a branch. It surveyed us all with indifference. We were neither threat nor fish.

0o0o0o0

On Friday after Mrs. Burton and Miss Patton completed the second teaching challenges successfully Uncle Bennet and Richard offered the governess positions to them. Both ladies found the situation and salaries acceptable. Kitty, Lydia and Grace were happy to welcome their new governesses.

Mrs. Burton would accompany Grace on her visit to Mary and Daniel after the wedding. I insisted she order some more colorful clothing while she was in town and provided her with funds to do so. I did not want unrelieved black at Rosings Park. She tried to argue against taking the money, but I declared since it was my requirement I should purchase her new gowns. She eventually relented. Madeline heard of my request and offered to take Mrs. Burton to a dressmaker she knew who did good work at a reasonable price. She would have an appropriate wardrobe for the governess/companion of a young lady of fortune.

0o0o0o0

On Saturday Aunt Bennet insisted I visit Netherfield with her to approve the final decorations for the ballroom. I was certain the arrangements would be superb and did not feel the need to check on them, but she was very proud of the work they had all done and I could tell she wanted to show off a bit. I went and bestowed genuinely lavish praise on all their arrangements. As long as the girls remembered what she taught them they would never have a problem preparing for a special event.

Aunt Bennet also had me try on my wedding dress to verify it fit well and was in perfect condition. Lydia decided my bonnet needed an extra little touch and added some ribbon decorations that gave it a more festive look. We carefully put my wedding clothes away for Monday after they had been examined from every angle to be sure there were no loose threads, stains or tears. I expect my mother would have been just as fussy about it as Aunt Bennet was. It made me feel even more a part of the family.

I had expected to marry at the age of nineteen or twenty and probably would have if my father had lived. I am not sure I would have married a man so well suited to me as Richard. He was worth the wait. I felt that good fortune had put me in his way despite all the many challenges we had encountered. I hoped that good fortune would follow us through a long and happy life together.

0o0o0o0

It seemed like I had been waiting forever for this final Sunday before the wedding, yet it had come so quickly at the same time. The last of the banns had been read the week before, so we could simply enjoy the sermon then head back to Longbourn for the final big family luncheon together.

We filled the dining room, or it felt like we did. The four children joined us and added to the chatter around the table. I enjoyed hearing the young ladies discussing estate management as readily as they discussed fashion or their lessons. Of course, the wedding was a big topic although no one really had anything new to say about it.

After the meal we moved to the drawing room with some spillover into the music room. Kitty and Georgiana each favored us with a piece on the pianoforte. Kitty had made good progress since that first Christmas song she had performed last December. Lydia sang an Italian love song she had been practicing while I played the accompaniment. Miss Patton demonstrated her proficiency in playing and singing. She was skilled in both and I hoped she could help Kitty and Lydia improve even further.

Richard, Charles and Will joined Teddy and the Gardiner boys on the floor when the whole herd of wooden horses and several wooden soldiers were brought downstairs. The intrepid explorers ventured to lands unknown and had several lively adventures. The men clearly had as much fun as the boys in that game.

All too soon the afternoon drew to a close and the Netherfield party prepared to leave. Richard and I were able to slip away for a few moments in the back parlor.

After sharing a kiss Richard said, "Just think, by this time tomorrow we will be arriving at Rosings as husband and wife with no more need to part each evening."

"That will certainly be worth the long ride into Kent," I said with a chuckle.

"I suspect we will find ways to amuse ourselves on the ride," he smirked.

"Oh, playing caravan guards?" I asked with fake innocence.

"That is a boy's game. I think _we_ can do much better." He pulled me close for another kiss.

"Father, Cousin Will says they are ready to leave now," Teddy said, poking his head inside the door.

"I knew I should have ridden my horse today," Richard grumbled.

"Go on," I said, "And think about tomorrow."

He smiled. "Pleasant dreams, Dearest. I will see you at the church." He kissed me again and then left the room, followed by Teddy. I waited a moment before going out to wave the Netherfield party off. I was thinking about tomorrow – my wedding day.

* * *

 _AN: For those of you who are wondering, or are just getting bored as some have commented, we have less than 10 chapters left. How many less will depend on how I decide to structure the last few things I want to include. Thanks again to everyone who has continued to read this behemoth. Our journey is almost over._


	102. Chapter 102

By the time we boarded the carriages to take us to the church I felt Aunt Bennet was about to cross the line from fussing over me endearingly to fussing annoyingly. She did _so_ want the day to be perfect. In my view, if Richard and I made it to the church and the ceremony was completed without problems then it _would_ be perfect.

Richard's prediction when Uncle Bennet fell from the horse proved true. My adopted uncle was able to walk me down the aisle without trouble. His ribs still hurt, but he was healing well. We waited together in a small room just inside the church porch for the signal to begin my last walk as an unmarried woman.

"Are you nervous, Sophia?" he asked.

"Not at all. I am happy. I never thought I could be this happy."

"I am glad fate brought you to Longbourn. Our family is much richer for having you and Grace as a part of it. I will miss both of you."

"Then you must visit us often, Uncle. Even if you do not like to travel much."

"And you must visit us as well. I am looking forward to seeing young Teddy grow under the teaching of your Philosopher."

I laughed lightly. "He is a good boy already and he has a good father to learn from. I look forward to seeing what he will become as well."

"It is time," said Mildred, entering the room. As my first friend at Longbourn I had asked her to stand up with me. I knew Will would be standing up with Richard. Now it was time for me to join him.

I nodded to Mildred. Taking Uncle Bennet's arm I walked out joyfully. We left the room and my old life behind.

0o0o0o0

The drive to Netherfield had never felt shorter. Although if it had been longer I probably would not have been at all presentable when the carriage stopped. I had thought Richard's kisses made me breathless before, but he had apparently been holding back.

"Do we really have to go in?" he asked in a teasing whine as I quickly adjusted my hair and gown before the carriage door opened."

"Richard! You know Aunt Bennet would never forgive us if we failed to attend this wedding breakfast. And think how hurt Teddy and Grace would be if we ran off without even a farewell."

He sighed theatrically. "Very well then, my dear wife, you have convinced me, although I am not looking forward to standing in the receiving line."

"I admit that is not one of my favorite places to be either, but at least we know everyone and like most of them." The footman opened the carriage door and we went in to do our duty in the receiving line.

0o0o0o0

As hostess Aunt Bennet had her place in the line, although Uncle Bennet begged off using the excuse of his injury. Richard tried to tease him into staying, but only received a smirk as Uncle Bennet walked away. Grace joined us and, even though children did not usually have a place in the receiving line, Teddy insisted on joining us as well, so we stood together as a family.

Even though it had been his decision and he knew it was coming, Richard was still a little startled the first few times he was addressed as Mr. York. He covered it well, but I could tell from the way he shifted his body as he answered. I understood. It felt a little odd to me to be addressed as Mrs. York instead of Miss York. The latter was now Grace's title.

A few people made comments on the name change, although the only ones that sounded snide came from Mrs. Long. Teddy looked like he was about to kick her. Fortunately Mr. Long interrupted his wife and practically shoved her on into the ballroom. Most people simply congratulated us and wished us well.

The Duke of Montrose had made the trip from town. He was preparing to leave for his estate in Scotland, but had stayed in town to complete some business which left him available to join our celebration.

"I am glad you saw sense and decided to marry her, young man," he said to Richard after offering congratulations. "I thought from the first the two of you were well-matched."

"You made that point very eloquently on our trip together, your Grace. I returned ready to ask her, but unfortunately murder and a smuggling ring got in the way."

"You handled them well. And now you are a landowner and newly married. Mrs. York, do not think a little thing like marriage gets _you_ out of our chess games. You are one up on me and I need to even the score."

"I look forward to seeing you try, your Grace" I said with a smile.

He laughed and went on inside saying, "Do not leave today before I have had a chance to tell you what the Prince Regent has done." Richard and I looked at each other. It sounded like there was an interesting story to hear.

0o0o0o0

When we were finally freed from the receiving line we both felt exhausted and hungry. We thanked Grace for standing with us and sent her off to sit with her friends. We tried to send Teddy off to join the Gardiner boys, who had a corner of one of the side rooms to play in. Teddy had realized that going to visit the Gardiners meant he was not going to see us again for two weeks, so he wanted to stay close to us until it was time to leave.

Everything on the buffet looked tasty and we had no trouble filling plates with our favorite items. We joined Uncle Bennet, Will and Elizabeth, who were seated with the Duke of Montrose. The duke spoke kindly with Teddy after once again offering his congratulations. Eventually he told the news he had of the Prince Regent.

"His Royal Highness was much surprised by the simplicity of your request and was determined to honor it. He began by circulating word among his usual companions that you had broken fully with your family and would not be liable for debts incurred by them. When it came to his notice that some still felt you should pay your brother's gambling debts he decided to go one step further. He has issued letters patent declaring the right honorable Richard York, formerly known as his majesty's servant, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, is to be held blameless in the matter of any debts incurred by the current Earl of Matlock or Viscount Milton. He goes on to state that no man may request payment of those debts of you or any member of your family other than the aforementioned Earl and Viscount. He held the publication of the letters patent until today in honor of your marriage and change of name. A copy is to be delivered to Rosings Park this afternoon."

Richard sighed with relief. "I am thankful to have that issue resolved and even more thankful he did not decide to honor me with any titles or, heaven forbid, remove my father's title and pass it on to me."

"He did consider the option," said the duke. "I managed to talk him out of it."

"Blessings upon you, Sir," said Richard, attempting levity, but actually quite serious. "I already have more possessions than I know how to manage. Adding Matlock would overwhelm me."

"So I surmised. I understand you have been giving estates away."

"Just dowries for my adopted cousins and sister by marriage," said Richard, looking a little embarrassed. "I am selling the others I plan to dispense with."

"I was not passing judgment, young man. I approve of taking care of family."

The talk at our table passed to other matters. After a time Richard and I felt we must circulate with the guests. Teddy walked along with us, holding the hand I did not have tucked into Richard's arm. We avoided the Longs, but enjoyed speaking with many of the other inhabitants of Meryton. It seemed Aunt Bennet had invited practically everyone in the village, not that we minded.

We spoke with Mr. Archer of the ponies for a time. Teddy told him how much he loved Sooty. He also assured Mr. Archer that Spice and Sugar had behaved very well and that Edward and Franklin were sorry to have them returned.

"I am glad they did well for your friends, Master Teddy. Your father told me you rode Sooty all the way to Kent and back in April."

"Yes, Sir. We had a fun ride. Sooty kept up with the other horses and was not tired at all. He is on his way to Rosings right now so he will be there when I return from visiting the Gardiners in town for two weeks."

"Yes, I understand your carter had a string of horses to take with him." Mr. Archer said with a laugh.

"I had not yet mentioned to Sophia that I purchased two of your harness trained ponies to use with her phaeton," Richard said with a grin.

"Richard! Thank you. I liked Anne's ponies but they are certainly slow," I said.

"I hoped you would be pleased. The ponies I picked are a matched pair and are still gentle and biddable beasts despite being faster and livelier than Anne's two. Oh, Mr. Archer, I do not know if you are aware, but we transferred ownership of Thornapple in trust to Miss Lydia Bennet as her dowry. She would very much like to speak with you on the subject of running a horse breeding and training estate. Mr. Forkland will still run the estate, but she wants to gradually take on some of the management and decision-making."

"I would be happy to speak with Miss Lydia. I know you mentioned the possibility of her acquiring the estate. Would you favor me with an introduction?"

Richard looked over to where the young ladies were talking together. He managed to catch Lydia's attention and motioned her over. I was glad to see the lessons in good carriage and deportment had taken root. She looked every bit a gentlewoman as she made her way to us.

Richard made the introductions and soon we left Mr. Archer and Lydia talking about his visit to Thornapple and some of the things Lydia would need to consider as she began to manage it.

"Mr. Archer can be of great assistance to her," I said. "I am glad you said something to him."

"When I purchased your ponies he mentioned wanting to keep up connections with Thornapple. He liked the horses I sold him very well and I know he saw others of interest while he was there. I admire the way he runs his estate and I think Lydia could learn much from him."

"He has nice ponies," Teddy said. "What color are Mother's new ponies?"

"They are both a light cream color with golden manes and tails."

"They sound lovely," I said. "I look forward to taking them out, although I have become quite happy riding Minerva as well."

"There are times for riding and times for driving," Richard said. "When the Gardiners visit you can take Madeline for a drive around the estate. You know she does not ride."

"That is an excellent idea."

"I have them on occasion," he said with a wink.

We visited with more of the guests and had a pleasant time. Finally, though, Richard decided we had stayed long enough. We did have a good distance to travel that afternoon. We announced our intention to leave and called for the carriage to be made ready. I teared up as I hugged each of my adopted family members, including a very gentle hug for Uncle Bennet. We thanked Aunt Bennet for the lovely party, accepted more good wishes from the guests, then made our way out to our carriage. Grace and several other family members came out to see us off. Teddy stayed right next to us to the last moment. Before Richard handed me in I gave Teddy a big hug.

"I love you, Teddy. We will see you in two weeks. Have fun with Edward and Franklin and be sure to obey Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner."

"I will, Mother. I will miss you."

"I will miss you too." I kissed his forehead, gave him another tight squeeze, then let Richard hand me into the carriage before I was tempted to drag Teddy in with me.

Richard gave him a bear hug as well. "Remember to follow the rules, Son." he warned, then he put Teddy's hand in Grace's. She held on to him as she wished us a good journey."

We waved out the window as the carriage began to roll away. The voices of our family surrounded us until we turned onto the main drive. Richard closed the window and we settled close together on the seat. Mr. and Mrs. York were on their way home to Rosings Park.


	103. Chapter 103

Our two week honeymoon passed by very quickly. We had arrived shortly before dark on our wedding day and were greeted by an array of servants at the front door. Our butler and housekeeper welcomed us home. They congratulated us on our wedding and led the other servants in a brief cheer that surprised us. Richard and I both blushed fiercely, but thanked them all and got inside as quickly as we could.

We spent a great deal of the next two weeks in our rooms together. We kept our meals simple, often taking them in our private sitting room. During the afternoons we enjoyed a few rides and a drive in the phaeton with my new ponies. Of course, I also had my continued redecorating projects and Richard had accounts and other business to work on, so we were kept well occupied.

The letters patent had arrived as the Duke of Montrose warned they would. My husband might not have much respect for the personal habits of the Prince Regent, but he was thankful for the document. Richard had our favorite woodworker craft a fancy frame for it and then hung it on the study wall in a place of honor. We were both grateful to be out from under the shadow of his brother's debts.

A few days later Richard was a little surprised to receive a letter from his father, although it _was_ addressed to Lady Catherine. Apparently word of her death had not yet reached Lord Matlock when it was written. The letter was a demand for the allowance he thought she owed him and came complete with threats to reveal her secrets, both to society and to Will and Richard. My husband took great pleasure composing a return letter notifying his father of Lady Catherine's death, Richard's inheritance, his marriage, and warning him that Richard knew all the secrets Lady Catherine had collected about his father and brother. He even mentioned the letters patent and suggested his brother see about paying off those debts before he set foot back in England as Richard would not save either of them from debtor's prison. He posted the letter with great satisfaction the day before the Gardiners arrived.

0o0o0o0

Teddy tumbled out of the carriage the minute the footman opened the door. He ran and threw himself into my arms.

"I missed you, Mother, but we had such fun! Edward and Franklin are my cousins now. We played games and visited the park. We even went to the menagerie at the Tower!"

I hugged him tightly. "I missed you too, Teddy! Right now it is time your father and I welcome Grace and all our guests. A little later we can sit down and hear about your adventures."

I set Teddy down and he rushed to hug Richard. By this time Mr. Gardiner had descended from the carriage and was helping Madeline out. She looked up at the building in amazement.

"I had no idea the house would be so huge!" she said. "I know you described it, but those were just words. They hardly convey the full effect."

"It is a very large house," I agreed with a laugh, "I welcome you to it, all of you."

Mr. Gardiner handed Grace down as well and she ran to give hugs to Richard and me just as Teddy had done. Mrs. Burton came next and then Edward and Franklin stepped out. Both of them stopped short, gaping at the house with wide eyes.

"You live in a castle?" Franklin asked Teddy.

"This is Rosings Park," Teddy answered simply. "It is just a big house."

"Well it looks like a castle," Edward said.

"Come inside, boys," I said. "We can let the grooms put the carriage away. Did you leave Bethany in town, Madeline?"

"For such a short visit we thought it was best."

We went inside and I enjoyed watching our guests' reactions. Madeline was still in wonder at the size of the house. The entry seemed equally intimidating. I thought it was much improved from the first time I saw it. We had now removed more than two thirds of the paintings and the spaces between were clean and white. The gloom had been chased away, leaving the whole area filled with welcoming light.

"You said the whole wall in here was covered completely with paintings?" Mr. Gardiner asked. "I can see how it must have been very dark and forbidding."

"It was more than forbidding," said Richard. "It was an incitement to severe melancholy."

"Mr. Wilson has taken three lots of paintings already," I said. "Yet we will have plenty more for him over time. Lady Catherine had every wall surface in the public walkways covered."

"Mr. Layton mentioned having removed two lots of furniture from you with plans to come back for more. Much of it has sold, I understand."

"We are thankful you sent them to us," I said. "As with the size of the house, mere words cannot convey how the interior looked before we began to clear it out."

Grace and Mrs. Burton expressed a desire to freshen up. Before the end of our last visit Grace had picked out her new room in the family wing. I told her it was ready for her and that we had placed Mrs. Burton in the room across the hall from her. I sent them up with a maid who could fetch anything they might need to help them settle in.

The boys would be staying in the nursery under the care of Mrs. Phipps. Mr. Gardiner and Madeline expressed a desire to meet her and see the room where they would be staying. Teddy led his cousins while the Gardiners and I followed behind. Richard excused himself to finish a letter he had been working on when the carriage was sighted.

Mrs. Phipps welcomed the boys as they came in. Edward and Franklin were already disposed to like her because Teddy had told them how kind she was. After speaking with Mrs. Phipps briefly, Madeline took a good look around and was satisfied with what she saw.

"Did you have to do much clearing in this room?" she asked.

"The nursery was really the only pleasant room in the house when we arrived. I had a fresh coat of whitewash put on while we were at Longbourn, but other than that it is very much as it was the first time we walked in."

"I have a cabinet for my toys and the soldiers that belonged to Sir Lewis," Teddy said, pointing to the cabinet on the wall. "Father and Cousin Will played with the soldiers when they were boys. Now we can play with them too."

We left the boys to settle in, letting Mrs. Phipps know we wanted them to join us for luncheon. I then showed Mr. Gardiner and Madeline to a suite of rooms in the family wing that I had redecorated for their use. I told them to make themselves at home and to ring for a servant if they needed anything, then left them to unpack and freshen up.

We enjoyed a lively meal together. Grace and Mrs. Burton spoke of the visit with Mary and Daniel. They had visited the chocolate shop and spent over an hour in Hatchard's looking at all the books. Grace told me she had found the books I asked for and more as well.

The boys told us about their trip to the menagerie and the visit to the park. I could see they were still excited over their expeditions.

"We saw an elephant, Mother!" Teddy said. "It was huge. Not even Old Satan is that big! And it does tricks, too."

"We got roll our hoops in the park and practice our tricks. Cousin Daniel joined us there once too." Edward added.

More details spilled out as we asked questions and enjoyed the answers. I thanked Madeline for taking Teddy out. I knew he would have been happy just staying at their house, but the excursions made the trip extra special.

After luncheon Richard announced a surprise for the boys. He had told me on our first day back that Mr. Archer had agreed to a trade since he had a request for a pair of extremely gentle harness trained ponies. Sugar and Spice now resided in the Rosings stable while Anne's ponies had been taken to Mr. Archer with his promise they were going to a woman who would treat them well. When Richard told the boys that Sugar and Spice were in the stable with Sooty they gave a loud cheer.

"I hope you did not procure them just for our boys," Mr. Gardiner said quietly to Richard.

"In part," he answered. "I am hoping you will visit frequently, even if the visits are only short ones like this time. In fact if you cannot come yourself I would like to sometimes come get the boys for visits of a week or two at a time. Teddy needs the company and your boys are good company for him. Having the ponies gives them an activity they can share. When your boys are not here I will bring in a few of the boys from the village or tenants' sons to exercise the ponies and keep company with Teddy. They are fairly young animals and may end up being used by other family members as we all start having children and they grow old enough."

Mr. Gardiner laughed, "So, you are planning for the long term, then."

"I do try," Richard answered with his own laugh, "I was impressed by the quality of those two ponies and I am also hoping to have a few sons who will want to ride them someday."

I offered to take Madeline for a drive while the boys had their ride, but she said she had been in the carriage a little too long that day and would prefer a tour of the house. I was happy to provide a full tour and even managed not to lose our way. Mrs. Burton joined us so she could become acquainted with her new home. Richard and Grace went out to ride with the boys while Mr. Gardiner settled into the library. He might not be as dedicated a reader as Uncle Bennet, but he did love books and our library was a comfortable place for some peace and quiet.

0o0o0o0

Madeline joined me for a drive around the estate and the neighborhood the next day. Deciding we needed an honor guard, the boys and Grace rode along with us. This time there were no complaints or jokes about the speed of my ponies. The new ones could step out nicely.

"This is lovely country," Madeline said as we passed by a meadow to the side of a small lake and copse of trees.

"I am looking forward to seeing it in all the seasons," I told her. "It was beautiful under a blanket of spring flowers. The aspect has changed with the crops growing and the trees fully leafed out and starting to bear fruit. I expect it will glow when the leaves change color and the harvest comes in. I understand there is not much snow here, but winter will have its own beauty. This is now _my_ family home and I am prepared to love it."

"Where is your father's estate? Or should I say Teddy's?"

I chuckled. "Stone Landing is in Lincolnshire, some forty miles north of Lydia's estate and a good way in from the coast. The house was originally a fortress and sits on a stony outcrop by the River Witham, hence the name. It has been largely rebuilt in a more modern style, although some of the original building has been incorporated into the back wing."

"It sounds like the kind of house Teddy will enjoy"

"I think he will. He will make it prosperous again under Richard's guidance and it will be a good place for him to raise his own family someday."

On our return we learned Richard and Mr. Gardiner had finalized their plans for a partnership with Richard contributing the funds from the sale of Lady Catherine's three investments. They sold for a higher price than Mr. Gardiner had expected and he had made a good commission on the sale. The amount Richard would contribute to Mr. Gardiner as a silent partner would allow for an expansion to significantly increase the profits of the business. It was a good investment for all of us.

We also found a packet of letters had come from Pemberley. As a group we settled into the library to read them and share the news with each other.

"Elizabeth says she sent your letters to Gracechurch street, Madeline, as they were not sure if they would arrive here before you left," I said.

"I expected that would be the case. Did she say how their trip went?"

"They left early on Tuesday as they planned and the roads were good. The trip was longer than they expected because poor Jane was not feeling well and they stopped more frequently to give her relief."

"Jane is normally a good traveler. Did Lizzy say what the problem was?"

I smiled, "It appears Elizabeth and Jane talked over her symptoms and they think it likely Jane is increasing. Once they got to Pemberley they called in the midwife to check on Elizabeth and examine Jane. According to the midwife it is probable a new Bingley will join the family in January."

"I thought Jane had that look about her. That is good news."

"They visited Myrtleridge after giving Jane a few days at Pemberley to recover. She and Charles loved the estate. I expect Richard's letter from Charles includes his offer to purchase Myrtleridge immediately. Elizabeth says Jane does not even wish to try traveling back to Longbourn, so they would like to take up residence as soon as their visit to Pemberley is over."

"You are correct," Richard said. "Bingley has confirmed his wish to purchase on the terms we discussed and he would like to take possession immediately despite still having a little time left on the lease at Netherfield. He mentions the possible addition to the family as well. His joy simply leaps off the page, at least what I can read of it. Will's description of Bingley's handwriting was pretty spot on."

"Cousin Charles wrote to me, Father, and I can read it," Teddy said.

"I think he may have been careful how he was writing for you. Come compare your letter with this one," Richard challenged. Teddy brought his letter over and looked at the difference between the two.

"Yours is really messy, Father," Teddy admitted. "Can _you_ read it?"

"With effort and guesswork I can. It helps that I read Will's letter first. He described their trip to Myrtleridge as well and warned me of Bingley's intentions."

"Georgie wrote that Myrtleridge is very pretty and she was glad they let her come on the trip to look at it," Grace told us. "She thinks it will be pleasant to have Jane and Charles living so close. I do hope we can visit Pemberley, Myrtleridge and Castlemere some time before the end of the year."

"We will have to wait and see, Grace," Richard said. "It should be possible, but I do not know exactly when."

Mildred sent letters for both Mrs. Burton and me. She mentioned highlights of the trip to Pemberley and Mildred in her letter to me, then finished with ideas for some of the topics the young ladies needed to begin learning together. Mrs. Burton and I discussed them later and agreed on which needed to be implemented in Grace's lessons. Our plan to start coordinating their schooling had begun.

0o0o0o0

All too soon the Gardiner's visit came to an end and they headed back to London. Madeline assured us they would make frequent short visits. She wanted to see the estate in all its seasons as well. They also agreed to occasionally let the boys visit on their own if Richard came to town to collect them.

With our guests gone, we started to find a daily routine that would work for our family. After all our time with the Bennets it felt strange to have such a small family party. At the same time, I was better able to concentrate on Teddy's lessons, my renovations to the house and building my relationship with Richard. He had time to make plans for the estates, teach Teddy as they rode out to tend to the land and spend time with me as well. Mrs. Burton worked with Grace on her lessons, but we also spent time together having fun as a family.

0o0o0o0

A few days before the Gardiners arrived Richard had received a letter from Mr. Baines, the solicitor handling the Stone Landing estate. He requested an appointment and Richard confirmed a date shortly after the Gardiners left us.

I was on hand to greet Mr. Baines when he arrived, but made no attempt to join the gentlemen when they moved to Richard's study. They intended to go over the paperwork for the transfer of both Stone Landing and the house with trust fund Teddy inherited from his Uncle. I went up to the nursery where I had promised to join Teddy in taking his two wooden horses with riders on an imaginary expedition along the Orinoco river looking for the City of Gold. We had been reading Sir Walter Raleigh's records of his search for the lost city and Teddy had been inspired to recreate the journey.

We had taken our horses and riders through a dense jungle before reaching the point where we would need to board a boat, represented by a flat piece of wood, to travel further up the river. Our journey was interrupted by a footman who came with a request from Richard for me to join him in the study.

I wondered why I might be needed in the meeting. Mr. Baines did not seem the type to consult with a woman on matters of business. Telling Teddy I would return as soon as I could, I headed downstairs. Arriving at Richard's study I knocked.

"Enter," I heard Richard say from inside.

I did as directed, closing the door behind me as I came in. Richard sat in the chair behind the desk while Mr. Baines had one of the two chairs facing him. Both men stood as I entered and Richard walked around to hand me into the other chair.

"Thank you for joining us, Sophia," Richard said. "Mr. Baines has told me something surprising and I knew you would want the chance to question him yourself. He has kindly agreed to allow that." I could sense a hint of sarcasm in his words, knowing Richard as I did, but his tone held only courtesy.

"Thank you, Mr. Baines," I said with a nod in his direction. I asked Richard, "What is this surprising news?"

"Mr. Baines tells me that in addition to the estate, Teddy has inherited the hereditary title of Viscount Stone."

"How is that possible?" I asked in confusion.

"Well, in the normal manner of such things, Mrs. York," said Mr. Baines testily. "The position of Viscount Stone is, as I have explained to your husband, an independent hereditary viscountcy which normally would pass from father to son, but which can pass to the next male heir in situations such as this. I am not sure why either of you finds this surprising."

"My surprise, Mr. Baines, is due to information I was given by my father," I told him. "When my sister was born it was clear my mother was too weak and ill to bear another child. At that point it was unlikely my father would ever have a son, which proved to be the case. My father told me several times that he was the _last_ Viscount Stone. The title would not be passed on after his death even though the estate would be inherited by a distant cousin. He was very clear on that point."

Mr. Baines nodded. "I see," he said with a little less frost in his voice. "What your father said could have been considered true, from a certain point of view, if the late Lord Willoughby had married and fathered a legitimate son. I assume your father knew he was the heir?"

"Oh, yes," I said. "He knew and despaired for the estate."

Mr. Baines made a slight snort although I could not tell if it was censure for the implied criticism of my father's late heir or agreement with my father's sentiments. "Then he knew his heir to be a young man, likely to have a son of his own to carry on his inheritance. He would know his heir was also the Earl of Stockleigh and traditionally the eldest son of the Earl takes the title Viscount Warham. The title of Viscount Stone would be used by neither of them under ordinary circumstances. Hence, if the future inheritance had played out as expected then Viscount Stone, although still a valid title, would no longer be used because it would be absorbed under the other titles belonging to the Earl of Stockleigh. Your father would have been figuratively correct, although not factually so."

The explanation made sense. I could see my father reasoning in this manner. "So the late Lord Willoughby was also technically Viscount Stone," I said, "although he did not use the title?"

"That is correct, Mrs. York."

"To be sure I understand correctly, the viscountcy is tied to the estate of Stone Landing. Because Stone Landing was entailed along a different line than the Willoughby estate and title of Earl of Stockleigh due to the lack of a direct heir, then the heir to Stone Landing is also, automatically, Viscount Stone even though someone else inherits the rest of the late lord's holdings and titles."

"That is correct."

I sat silently, feeling stunned. My father had been so emphatic on the point, yet he turned out to be wrong, just as he had been wrong in the way he prepared for the well-being of his family after his death.

"Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Baines," Richard said. "My wife and I both appreciate having that matter cleared up. I believe my wife is still a little disturbed to know that what her father told her was colored by his assumptions of the future instead of plain fact."

"I understand, Mr. York. It is always better to deal with the facts of the matter at hand rather than assumptions. Of course I am willing to clear up what I can. Do you have any further questions, Mrs. York?"

I shook my head slightly to clear it, then answered, "No, I thank you, Mr. Baines. Shall I leave you to complete your business?"

Richard stood again to hand me up from my chair. "That would probably be best," he said with that faint hint of sarcasm I knew was directed at Mr. Baines. As he offered his hand, standing with his back to the solicitor, he rolled his eyes, then winked at me. I had to call on my training in proper deportment to keep from smiling back.

Richard walked me to the door, where I turned and offered a curtsy to Mr. Baines, who stood by his chair. "Good day, Mr. Baines," I said politely.

"Good day, Mrs. York," he said with a bow.

Richard closed the door behind me after I entered the hall. We would discuss his meeting thoroughly after Mr. Baines left. For now, I headed back up to the nursery to return to the game of explorers with young Viscount Stone.

* * *

 _AN: Final vote between comments and PM – 19 Yes, 3 No, 3 undecided_


	104. Chapter 104

_AN1 - sorry it has taken so long, I have been trying to post since 7pm on 2/3 but the site would not let me. It finally seems to be back up, so here we go._

* * *

Teddy's acquisition of a title did not really change anything. Technically he should now have been addressed as Lord Stone, but most people in our household still referred to him as the young master or Master Teddy.

Of course, Teddy knew about his new title. After Mr. Baines left we had a family conference to explain the situation to Teddy and Grace. We told him people would use Lord Stone to address him in much the same way they used Colonel for Richard when he was in the military. Once Teddy realized the title did not change who he was it became acceptable, although I think he saw it as something of a burden. Richard and I agreed that viewpoint was actually a good attitude to take, at least to some extent. Teddy would take on the responsibilities that came with the title seriously and Richard would help him learn.

0o0o0o0

With our new routines in place June turned into July which quickly rolled into August. We met more of the neighbors and attended a few dinner parties. Mr. Sanders had clearly spread word that Richard was nothing like Lady Catherine. Most of our neighbors were willing to offer us a chance to prove that.

Miss Black and Miss Fallow came to visit with Grace. She and Mrs. Burton later returned the visits. I did not see Grace becoming close to them in the way she was close to her adopted cousins, but the young ladies would be company of her own age during any social gatherings.

Richard visited Upford Hall in early July and offered Mr. Walter the opportunity to repurchase his family home on reasonable terms. Mr. Walter accepted gratefully and the bargain was made, with mortgage and sale papers drawn up by Mr. Phillips. Richard told me he was relieved to let the estate go. I knew he felt it should be owned by those who most cared for it.

Our family kept the postman busy with all the letters coming and going. We received at least one packet of letters a week from each of the family homes and we returned letters just as frequently. Teddy practiced his writing enough with all the letters he wrote to the various cousins that he was developing an excellent hand. He often added drawings, which improved in clarity over time as well, although Richard and I still sometimes sent hints of the intended subject matter in our letters.

Uncle Bennet rarely chose to write, letting Longbourn's news be carried by the ladies of the house. This meant Richard paid close attention to the letter he received at the end of August. He showed it to me after reading it through. In part it said:

 _May I request you do me the favor of bringing your family to visit soon, Philosopher. My wife's confinement is almost upon her and I desperately need the company to distract me from my worries. This last month has been more difficult for her than for any of our previous children. I fear for her well-being. She has expressed a wish to have Sophia attend her for the confinement as it would not be appropriate for our youngest daughters to do so. Jane will provide the same office for Lizzy and cannot be with both her mother and her sister. Mary and Daniel stand ready to join us as soon as the confinement is imminent but cannot be away too long. Please come._

It was an appeal we could not resist. Richard sent a messenger that very day to accept the invitation. We arrived at Longbourn for our visit three days later.

Uncle Bennet had cause to worry. Poor Aunt Bennet had swollen hands and even more swollen feet and ankles. Because she was frequently short of breath, they turned Jane's old bedroom into a sitting room with her favorite chair settled by the window. This way she did not have to go up and down the stairs or travel too far if she needed to refresh herself, which happened frequently. Uncle Bennet said she was even more tired than she had been in the early months and often slept in her chair. Despite the warning he gave us when we arrived, I was still surprised at how exhausted she looked when we first visited her.

"Oh, Sophia, I am so happy you and Richard have come," she said as she struggled to her feet when we entered her sitting room. Richard quickly stepped forward to offer her support while I gave her a gentle hug. Teddy and Grace followed us into the room and gave her hugs as well. Richard kissed her cheek before helping Aunt Bennet resume her seat.

"You have made this a very pleasant room," I said, taking a place on a settee I recognized as having been moved from the back parlor.

"It was Mr. Bennet's idea," she said with a smile. "He has been taking such good care of me. Kitty and Lydia helped arrange the room."

"You have taught them well. It is light and inviting. Are you enjoying the view out the window from where your chair is placed?"

"Yes, I can see down the drive and am the first to know when visitors arrive."

We chatted with her for a while. In a way it felt like we had never left. Teddy took his place on the floor and occasionally ventured a comment. Kitty and Lydia joined us and chatted with Grace, catching up on all the things they had not included in their letters and revisiting those they had. In a way were were home.

0o0o0o0

We had visited for a week and a half before the midwife, who had come to check on Aunt Bennet daily during that time, felt that her confinement was close to hand. Richard immediately sent a messenger to town and a day later Mary and Daniel joined us at Longbourn.

Mary and I had agreed to attend at the birth, although both of us were nervous about the experience. Mrs. Shaw, the midwife, would deliver the baby, but Daniel would remain close by in case he was needed. The girls were both too young and unmarried, which made it highly inappropriate for them to attend. As for Uncle Bennet, he was relying on Richard to keep him company through the wait for news.

On the afternoon of Friday, September 11th, Aunt Bennet's confinement truly began, although she had been largely keeping to her room the two days prior, feeling ill and rather weak, with severe pains in her back. The birth was a great strain on her. She was not as nervous as Mary and I were. After all, she had been through this five times before. Despite her prior experience, she found this time very difficult and tiring. We supported her as best we could and Mrs. Shaw was there the whole time to help her through. Finally, at a little after four in the morning young Thomas Bennet II made his way into the world to the great delight of his exhausted mother.

He was tiny. Far tinier than Grace had been and my mother had declared her to be a very small baby. He looked delicate and his cries were somewhat weak. At the same time I sensed he had the stubborn nature so often seen in his sisters, Elizabeth and Lydia. He might be small, but I was sure he would survive.

Mary stayed with her mother after Mrs. Shaw helped deliver the afterbirth and cleaned Aunt Bennet with our assistance. Daniel had come in to check on the older woman and he stayed as well.

"Take the baby to his father," said Mrs. Shaw. "Mr. Bennet should see him, but keep the little one wrapped warmly and bring him back quickly."

She showed me how to hold him and sent me off. I made my way carefully downstairs with my precious burden. I carried the future of Longbourn resting against my shoulder. He murmured a little and wriggled against me as I held him carefully in place.

"Uncle Bennet?" I said tentatively as I reached the open door of the study. He looked up quickly from the game of backgammon he and Richard were pretending to concentrate on. Teddy stirred where he slept in the big chair behind Uncle Bennet's desk. Clearly he had tried to keep his uncle company as well.

"Is she well? Is the baby born?" he asked quickly.

"They are both well, Uncle. Aunt Bennet says to tell you his name is Thomas Arthur Bennet. Would you like to see your son?"

Uncle Bennet stood so abruptly he knocked over the backgammon board and almost fell himself. Richard had stood just as quickly and steadied him by the elbow. I stepped inside the room and shifted the tiny, slightly squirming body so Uncle Bennet could get his first look at the face of his namesake.

He stepped forward with a look of awe that was mirrored in Richard's face. Raising his hand, Uncle Bennet stroked a gentle finger along the side of the baby's face.

"My son," he said in a whisper. "He is so small. Even Jane was not that small."

"Daniel and the midwife say he is probably early." Young Thomas snuffled a little, as if to agree.

"Will he be well?"

"I think he is a fighter, Uncle. There is something about him that reminds me of Elizabeth."

Uncle Bennet sighed a little. "I hope so. I hope my Lizzy is doing well bringing her little one into the world."

Richard stepped around to my side. He also stroked the baby's face with great tenderness.

"I was supposed to take him back up quickly," I told them.

"I will come with you," Uncle Bennet said, still almost whispering, "I must congratulate Fanny on her accomplishment."

I moved to offer the baby to him, but he waved me back. "No, he is safer in your arms. You carry Tommy. I would not want to drop him."

Richard carefully picked up Teddy who shifted but did not wake. He must have been very tired not to have woken the game board fell. "I need to put this lad to bed. He insisted on keeping us company as long as he could stay awake."

We three headed upstairs, two of us carrying our young burdens. The third smiled with the look of a man who had all his burdens lifted.

0o0o0o0

Aunt Bennet recovered slowly, but she did recover. We were glad Daniel had come to look after her. She insisted on feeding Tommy herself and managed well. He was the better for it as Daniel told us he would be. All of us watched over the two of them carefully. It was clear the boy would be doted upon by his family.

Despite his small size and early start Tommy thrived. He began to put on a little weight and his skin looked less translucent. Soon his cries were stronger and healthy sounding. He was a fighter indeed.

Two weeks after Tommy was born a messenger came from Pemberley. Young Tommy now had a nephew. Bennet William Darcy had joined the family much to the joy of us all. Will reported Elizabeth to be recovering well, although he mentioned Jane had been quite frightened by the birthing process and was not looking forward to her own confinement. With another four months to go, she would probably get used to the idea, he wrote. I could imagine that comment having come from Elizabeth.

We stayed at Longbourn long enough to be sure Aunt Bennet would fully recover and Tommy would be well. Eventually, though, it was time for us to go home. We needed to make sure all was in order before we headed north to pay a visit to Pemberley to meet the newest Darcy, with a side trip to Castlemere for Grace.

It had been less than a year since I had come to Longbourn as a governess. Now I had a home and an extended family I could never have imagined this time the previous year. I had my sister, Grace, with me and Teddy for my son. Above all, I had Richard, my beloved husband. In him I had truly met my perfect match.

~0~0~0~0~

 _AN: A huge thank you to everyone who read their way through this whole story. I appreciate your tenacity. I have learned many lessons in writing this story, both from the writing itself and from the helpful comments I received all along the way._

 _I know the story was long. I know my characters were too perfect. I know there were too many plot twists, coincidental linkages, side journeys, digressions and a whole lot more. I also know many people enjoyed it anyway, including myself. For all its flaws, writing this story was an incredible experience that I would not wish to have missed and sharing it was even more so._

 _I do have plans to pick the story up again in "Coming Out" in which we will see the five girls have their London season and, of course, find their perfect matches. We go back to third person point of view and will alternate between the girls, although not necessarily every chapter. However, one of the many lessons I have learned is not to work without a detailed outline, so I will be taking the time to carefully plan the third segment before I start posting anything. I also have a good bit of research to do into the whole London season thing. In other words, it might be a little while before you see this story come up. I do have a few chapters written in draft but they are only in draft for now._

 _Coming Out will be delayed a little further while I finish up Voices in the Dark, which I have been writing in the background while posting Miss York. I am also working to keep it very tightly written and expect it to be much closer to novella length, although that could change. It is a Lizzy and Darcy story with a supernatural element and was spawned by the same plot bunny vision as "Ghosts of Rosings Park" although the two have very little resemblance beyond a setting at Rosings. Now that I can work on it exclusively I should be able to start posting fairly soon. I have the first eight chapters written, but I want to wait to make sure they are really going the way I want the story to flow before posting anything. Plus I want complete that detailed outline and then stick to it. Voices is a darker story, containing little laughter or banter, more along the lines of a gothic novel. I am enjoying it anyway, and I hope you will too._

 _The comments to this story and private message conversations have been fun and often enlightening. I look forward to chatting with many of you again. Once again, I think you all._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Lady Jaeza_


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